It's A Demon's World
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: The war between the demons and the Mikaelsons and their allies continues and the first generation of demon hybrids finds love and war among themselves amidst the chaos. Selina also contends with figuring out Arthur's place in the demon royal family, which turns into trouble when rivals appear to challenge his claim.
1. All About The Kids

Only plot and original characters belong to me!

"Well, what do you think?" Dorian grinned as Jim opened the door of the limo and both Jeannette and Selina got out with Arthur held tight against Selina's chest, his eyes shielded from the sun by a pair of tiny sunglasses.

She looked at the strong, red brick building, and grinned. "I like it," she said with satisfaction. "It looks great."

"Wonderful," Dorian grinned. "Classes begin in a few weeks." He then took Arthur from Selina's arms and held him so he was facing the brick building. "You see there, son?" He asked six month old Arthur. "That's gonna be the building that teaches kids just like you how to live in this crazy world. Of course you still have some time before you go, but it'll be here before you know it."

"I hope it doesn't go _that_ fast," Selina reached out and played with the brown hair on Arthur's head. "He's already growing up faster than I would like." She eyed Dorian. "Do you know why that is? Is it something you're doing?"

"No," Dorian shook his head. "But remember that our son is part of a new species, something that has never existed before. Anything could happen with him. Anything. We'll just have to wait and see. It's quite exciting, really."

* * *

After that, Selina and Dorian both waited with bated breath for Arthur to grow up. He walked quicker than most children, started talking sooner, and that made Dorian smile. "Yep," he said. "He'll grow up any day now."

And he did, while Lily was baby-sitting him. She'd been warned that he was in his cocoon and of course it was when she came to check on him that he emerged, sticky and naked, as she tried to look away. "Hey, baby," he smiled and came toward her. "Look at me. Isn't it amazing?"

"No, you're a guy with guy parts," Lily told him, her eyes narrowed. "That's not special. And if you so much as lay a hand or your lips on me, I'm going to _kick you_ in the guy parts, got me?"

"You're no fun," Arthur replied, pushing a strand of dark hair out of his blue eyes. "I need help using the shower and you're the only one here. You have to help me. My mother and father would get very upset if something happened to me while I was in your care because you weren't paying close enough attention to me."

"Oh, shut up," Lily scoffed. "I grew up fast like you did, so I'm very much aware that you have enough smarts in that tiny brain of yours to be able to work a shower without help. So go do it, all right?"

Arthur narrowed his and headed toward the bathroom, feeling very put out. She was supposed to help him and do what he said. So why wasn't she? What was her problem?

When Arthur got done with his shower and dressed (the grown-up clothes his parents had bought for him were a bit snug but he knew adjustments could be made with his father's magic when they came back, and as for the pants, he didn't really mind) he went out to pester Lily again.

"I'm done with my shower," he announced.

She didn't even look up from her book. "Good for you," she said in a dry tone. "Do you want me to throw you a parade or something?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you that I was done with the shower," Arthur replied. "Why are you in such a bad mood all the time?"

"I'm not in a bad mood _all the time_ ," Lily corrected. "Just when you open your stupid mouth and don't close it."

"If you hate me so much, if I make you so mad, why the heck did you agree to watch me?" Arthur questioned.

"Cause your parents pay me well, and I like money," Lily answered matter-of-factly, finally deigning to look up at him. "I can tolerate a lot if I know I'm gonna be well paid for it."

"So I'm just a paycheck to you, is that it?" Arthur questioned.

"Well, yeah," Lily nodded. "What else would you be? The center of my freaking universe? Don't be silly, Arthur."

"You know what, fine!" Arthur shouted. "Be that way. But it's your loss, sweetheart."

"Yeah, I doubt that," Lily told him. "Go to your room until your parents come home. And before you ask, no, I'm not joining you."

Arthur shut his mouth, rolled his eyes, and stomped off to his room, making sure to slam the door loudly behind him so that she would know how upset he was. And his parents would _definitely_ be hearing about her bad attitude when they got home.

* * *

"I bet you had a quiet time," Selina remarked to Lily when they returned. "I know it's a bit silly to have you come all the way over here to watch a cocoon, but…he could be emerging any day now and we don't want him to be by himself when that happens.

"Things started out quiet," Lily agreed. "Then it all changed…unfortunately."

"I hear voices," Arthur called from his room, his door open. "Are my parents home? Can I come out now?"

"I'm mystified yet pleased that for once you actually did something I told you," Lily shouted back. "But yes, your parents are home and you can come out and show them your grown up and annoying self."

"Is he annoying?" Selina asked. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," Lily told her. "It's nothing I can't handle. And by the way, his clothes seem to be a bit snug. He'll need them to be bigger."

"Ah," Dorian nodded. "Okay, I wondered about that."

When Arthur emerged, he was immediately grabbed by his mother and squeezed hard.

"Hi, Mom," he choked out. "I love you too!"

"Let him go, Selina," Dorian urged her. "Or at least loosen your grip a bit. I don't think he can breathe."

"Oh, sorry," Selina apologized and let Arthur go.

He took a deep breath and gave her a grin. "It's okay," he said. "I'll live."

"You're so handsome!" Selina remarked.

"I'd be careful how often you tell him that so his head doesn't swell too much," Lily advised.

"Did anyone invite you into this conversation?" Arthur asked, his eyes becoming demon eyes for a moment as he glared at Lily. "And you accused _me_ of not being able to shut my mouth and always saying annoying and unnecessary things."

Dorian could sense the tension in the air and he quickly asked Lily to come with him so he could pay her for her time and she could be on her way.

"That's a good idea," Lily remarked and followed him out of the living room, hoping that Arthur wasn't staring at her butt. "You guys need time to bond with your son without me being in the way."

"Thank you for that," Dorian told her, giving her a little extra for handling grown up Arthur as well as she did and not harming him. "And for everything you've done to help us with him."

"You're welcome," Lily replied, taking the money and putting it in her pocket. "Have a good rest of the day."

"Yes," Dorian nodded. "You too, Lily."

* * *

"So what you're telling me is that the demons have a _school_ now?" John cried, snatching a flyer for it away from Kai, who through an act of deception, had managed to infiltrate a group and see what the school was all about.

"Yes," Kai nodded. "That's what the flyer says."

"Do you think it's all made up?" John questioned after tearing up the flyer and letting the pieces fall to the ground. He and Kai got most of them off the floor, but Lydia and Ingrid still managed to grab a few and stick them in their mouths.

"Oh for god's sake!" John cried and used his fingers to get the paper out. "All these demons are going to be really educated and our girls will still be eating paper and being drooling babies! That's no good!"

"All right, but what will you do about it?" Kai questioned, then grinned. "I can't wait to hear."

"Well, it will be something that I don't think my wife or yours would approve of," John said.

"Naturally," Kai remarked. "Go on."

"We make them grow up with magic," John said. "There are spells for that, you know."

"Will the spells cause the girls any harm?" Kai questioned.

"No," John shook his head. "Of course not!"

"Well, then I don't see why our wives would have any reason to object," Kai shrugged. "Do you?"

"No reason that really holds water," John said and took Ingrid in his arms while Kai grabbed Lydia and they headed to John's office to do that spell that would make their daughters into capable, intelligent, highly functioning young women.

While Kai did his best to keep them still, John went and got the spell book, and when he returned, John quickly said the right spell once he'd found it and then he and Kai stood back and waited.

"Nothing's happening," Kai said when there was no change. "Are you sure you said it right?"

"Of course I said the damn spell right," John told him. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"I don't think it's wise for me to truthfully answer that question," Kai answered as John scoffed and rolled his eyes. He repeated the spell, but slower the second time, enunciating the words, and they waited again. This time, it worked, and they found themselves face to face with two young women where their baby daughters had once wiggled.

"All right," Kai got out. "This is going to sound like a stupid question, but…who's Ingrid and who's Lydia?"

"Can you believe them, Ingrid?" Asked the girl with the lighter brown hair and lighter brown eyes as she turned to face the slightly shorter girl with dark brown hair and dark eyes. "Our fathers don't even know which one of us is theirs. I bet our mothers would!"

"Yeah, Lydia," Ingrid agreed and reached out a hand to take Ingrid's. "I bet they would." She then turned to face her. "How mad do you think our mothers will be when they find out that our fathers made us grow up for their own personal gain?"

" _Really_ mad!" Lydia smiled. "Let's go tell 'em!"

They ran out of the room and Kai glared at John. "You know that when they yell at us, I'm selling you out, right? I'm not taking the fall for something that was _your_ idea."

"And I don't mind that," John told him with a smirk. "Because unlike the coward that you are, I don't fear Freya the way you fear Victoria."

"Eh heh heh," Kai gave a mock laugh. "You are so wrong on that one."

"We shall see," John said, totally unashamed. "Won't we?"

* * *

"Would you two care to explain to us why we got calls from girls claiming to be our daughters telling us that you used magic to make them grow up?" Victoria asked Kai not long after because the girls had made the call as promised and, as they'd guessed, their mothers were not happy.

"Don't yell at me, Vicky!" Kai cried. "I'm just the lackey! It was John's idea!"

"That's true, actually," Lydia assured her mother. "Don't be so hard on Dad. I mean, you can be a little hard on him if you want to, but…it's more John's fault than his."

"Keep talking," Freya told John, her eyes narrowed.

"I don't see why we're talking as if there's fault involved here," John replied. "Just what have I done wrong?"

"You can't rush making babies grow up!" Freya cried. "It's not natural! You better have a damn good reason for doing it."

"Here," John told her and handed her and Victoria the flyer for the demon school that Kai had brought him. "There is my reason. The demons are starting a school, which means they will be more educated, more dangerous, and more devious. And do you really want our daughter and yours, Victoria, lagging behind when all that is going on? That is my reason. You may apologize now."

Freya and Victoria just stared at each other and sighed. They hated to admit it, but maybe John had a point.

"We'll concede that maybe you did the right thing," Freya said, getting to her feet. "But we're not apologizing." She and Victoria then got up and asked Ingrid and Lydia if they'd like to go somewhere and talk, to get to know each other better now that they were grown.

"Sure," Ingrid nodded. "It'd be better than hanging around here with those two." She looked at her father, gave him a wave, and then the four women left Kai and John alone.

"Is it just me, or do our daughters seem cold and ruthless to you, too?" Kai asked.

"It's not just you," John said. "And when Freya and Victoria realize it, I bet they'll somehow blame us."

"Well, yeah," Kai nodded. "That's practically a given."

* * *

"I need your opinion on something," Sophia asked Eric.

"Sure, but can it wait?" Eric questioned as he wrestled with trying to get Nate's diaper on, but the boy was fighting him and wailing like a banshee while Ben lay serenely beside them with a red t-shirt on over his own diaper, grinning and reaching out for his mother. "I need to put all my attention on this."

"Here, let me give it a shot," Sophia suggested. "You look after Ben. That might be better for your blood pressure."

"Yeah, it might," Eric agreed and took Ben. He then watched in amazement as Sophia got Nate's diaper on and took him in her arms. "How the hell did you do that?" He asked.

"It's a secret," Sophia grinned. "Now, how long do you want to keep their nurseries up before we go buy them grown up furniture? Cause we know they won't be babies forever."

"No, they won't," Eric shook his head. "They'll grow up when we least expect it. That's what Dad said happened with Arthur. Poor Lily who babysat him found out first. It's a good thing she's a demon too."

"Yeah, that all would have been hard to explain if she wasn't," Sophia agreed.

* * *

As it happened, the change occurred while they were visiting Jill and Christian.

"Cocoons already?" He asked as they brought them inside. "The time really flies, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "It does. But I have to say, I'm kind of relieved. Babies aren't my best thing."

"You did all right," Sophia praised. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Jill followed when they went to put the boys in the same room. "You might want to separate them," she said.

"Why?" Sophia questioned. "Are they going to emerge grown up today? Did you see it?"

"I don't know for sure," Jill said. "I just have a feeling."

Though she mostly tried to listen when her mother had 'feelings', Sophia thought that this time, it wouldn't hurt to ignore it, since it wasn't anything certain. The cocoons were put in the same room and everyone was talking when the conversation was interrupted by yelling and a crash.

"Oh, my god! The boys!" Sophia cried and ran for the room where they had been put with her parents and Eric on her heels. They opened the door and found both boys out of their cocoons and beating up on each other.

"Apparently, the friendliness that kept them both alive before they were born is over now," Eric remarked dryly as he and Christian went to separate them. "Boys!" He remonstrated. "You have to stop!"

"Then tell him to get out of my space!" one of them said and shoved the other.

"Okay, first off, which one of you is which?" Eric questioned because both dark-haired and dark-eyed boys looked the same to him, even though they had different haircuts: one had a buzz cut and the other had hair that you could run your fingers through.

"I'm Nathan," said the one with the buzz cut. "And that," he pointed, looking at his brother with distaste, "Is Ben."

"Hi," Ben smiled at his parents. "Sorry about all this."

"What are you apologizing like an idiot for?" Nathan scoffed. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"You're right," Ben agreed. " _You're_ the problem child. Not me."

"All right, all right, enough snapping at each other," Sophia said. "Let's get you two taking showers and dressed, okay?"

"What are we supposed to do about clothes?" Ben asked his mother. "Did you bring any?"

"We didn't," Sophia shook her head and then turned to her mother. "But I bet we can scrounge something up, right?"

"Yes," Jill smiled as the boys got up and covered themselves with blankets before heading to wash off. "As luck would have it, I just went shopping yesterday."


	2. Let That Be A Lesson For You

It was his first day of school and Arthur was coming out of the bathroom after his first class when someone knocked into him and they both tumbled to the ground. "Damn it, would you watch it?" He cried.

"I'm sorry," said a familiar voice. "I didn't know you were so fragile. Did I mess up your hair?"

He looked up, blinked, and saw Lily staring down at him. "Awfully nice of you to stick around and see if I was all right," he said.

"I wasn't," Lily remarked. "I was just seeing who I hit in case I needed to apologize to them, but since it's you, I'll just take my books and be on my way."

Arthur narrowed his eyes, watched her pick up her books, and knocked her books out of her arms after he got to his feet. "Gravity's a real bitch, isn't it?" He remarked to her before striding off. "Just like you, huh?"

"Well, you're no prize either!" Lily shouted at his retreating back as she picked up her books once more. But he wasn't listening. She dusted off her pants, shook out her hair, and headed to class, where, hopefully, she wouldn't run into him. She never thought she'd say this, or even think it, but having met his grown-up self, she was now positive that she missed the little baby that she'd babysat. He'd been annoying too, but she'd been paid to spend time with him. Now she had to with no compensation in sight. This was going to be a _long_ year.

* * *

At lunch, Lily tried to do the best she could to avoid Arthur as she'd luckily been able to all morning. He was a jerk. A handsome jerk for sure, even she could admit it in the aesthetic sense, but still a jerk. Just because his mother ran the school, he thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted. It wasn't appealing at all.

Which is why she was positively dumbfounded when she went into the lunch room and found Arthur surrounded by a crowd of girls. Their eyes were full of pity and they were touching him everywhere, so she assumed he was telling them about their run-in earlier that day, and casting her as the bad guy. He was probably telling really bad jokes too, which is why they were laughing in that loud and annoying manner.

She tried to be the bigger person, ignore them, and read _The Great Gatsby_ in between bites of Caesar salad, but finally, the giggling from his table just got to be too much and she stomped over to confront them. "Do you mind?" She cried. "I'm trying to eat and read my book!"

"You wanna join us?" Arthur offered. "There aren't any seats left, but my lap is free."

"Oh, fuck off," Lily scoffed.

"Hey," one of the girls with blonde hair piled high sauntered over and took the spot. "If she won't sit there, I will," she remarked. They rubbed noses and she played with his hair until Arthur noticed Lily was still staring. "Why are you still here, watching? Are you jealous?"

"No, it's like a train wreck," Lily responded. "It's so horrifying, I can't look away." She then gagged as the blonde kissed him with clear use of tongue.

"Where are you going?" He called, breaking the kiss as she started to walk away. He then asked the girl to move and he got up, chasing after Lily and grabbing her arm. "You know, I would have much rather had you there," he told her. "On my lap, I mean."

"Oh, I'm sure you would have," Lily spat. "Let me go, would you? I'm not like everyone else here. I'm not gonna do what you say just because you say it. You may be king here, but I'm not bowing down. And I would rather sit in a pit of poisonous snakes than on your lap, thank you very much."

"Would you really?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Cause I can easily arrange that."

He went to sit back down and Lily's cheeks heated up as the girls at the table with him stared at her.

"I don't have to put up with this anymore," Lily grumbled and began to walk away. "I'm leaving…for real this time."

"Oh, yes," Arthur told her. "Go back to sitting alone with your book. No friends, no boyfriend…of course."

His companions' laughter rang in Lily's ears as she shook her hair, squared her shoulders, and pushed the smirking blonde right off Arthur's lap and onto the floor. "Who's laughing now?" She asked with a grin before turning to stride away.

Sensing that something had gone too far, Arthur tried his best to diffuse the situation, getting up and running after Lily. "What's going on with you?" He asked, grabbing her arm. "Where's your sense of humor? We were just kidding around."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't laughing," Lily spat. "Not like you noticed." She gave a tug. "Now let go of my arm, would you? I want to get as far away from you as possible because as you may or may not be able to tell, I'm very mad at you!"

"I'm sure I could do something to change that," he grinned, Then he grabbed her and tried to kiss her, but she punched him in the nose and kicked him in the crotch, causing the whole lunch room to go silent as they watched him fall to the ground in pain.

"What?" Lily asked as she realized all eyes were on her. "Nothing to see here. Go back to your lunches." She then strode away, leaving Arthur moaning on the ground as she went back to her book. But she wasn't worried about him. One of his gaggle of admirers would probably take care of him. She didn't need to.

* * *

"There it is," Ingrid said to Lydia as they stared at the school. "There's the school that our dads hate."

"Yeah," Lydia replied. "What do you think is so bad about it?"

"Demons," Ingrid told her. "That's what my dad says. What do you think a demon looks like?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. Let's look."

They made their way toward the building and were stopped by the front door.

"Excuse me," said a voice. "What are you doing here?"

They turned and saw two boys with dark hair and dark eyes sitting on the steps. One was smoking a cigarette, and the other, with fluffier hair than his brother, was waving the smoke away while trying to eat a sandwich.

"We just want to see what's going on in that school," Ingrid replied. "Do you two go there?"

Ben opened his mouth to answer her question, but Nate put a hand over it, preventing his brother from speaking at all. "So what if we do?" He asked. "Why do you want to know? You're not even allowed!"

"And just why not?" Lydia bristled. "What would make you say we can't come there if we want?"

"Cause you're just not the type," Nate told her. "It's not for people like you and your friend. In fact, you should leave now."

This made Lydia angrier. Instead of leaving as Nate had suggested, she got more up in his face. "You know, I really don't like your attitude!" She remarked. "You think you can just call me names like that, well you can't!"

"What part of 'I want you to leave' did you not understand?" Nate yelled. "Get the fuck away from here before I make you! Cause I will!"

"That's it!" Lydia shouted, magic beginning to crackle as it shot out of her fingertips to do a spell that would make Nate hurt quite badly.

But he sensed what she was about to do and ducked out of the way, leaving the magic to make a big hole in the side of the building. Nate looked at it for a moment and then hit her with a wall of magic that sent her sprawling to the ground. She wasn't unconscious, but it took her a while to get up afterwards.

"Okay, Nate, that's enough!" Ben cried as he got to his feet and went to see if Lydia was all right. "Sure, they don't belong, but you're being too harsh. You can be polite and get the point across. It's possible. Especially when you're dealing with people who are weaker than you are. And common folk besides. They probably came here because they didn't know that they shouldn't. It's not their fault."

"Excuse me?" Ingrid's eyes narrowed. She'd been really grateful for Ben's help, but she didn't like what he'd just said. At all. "What do you mean by calling us weaker and common folk? What makes you think you're so great that you're entitled to talk about us like that?"

"I'm entitled to because this is a place where I belong and you don't!" Ben told her, trying to be patient and not giving into temper like his brother had. "It's just a fact, Miss…what's your name?"

"None of your damn business, that's what my name is!" Ingrid cried. She then looked at his brother, who was watching the exchange with amusement. "You wanna talk?" She asked him. "I might find it easier to deal with you."

"And if I weren't so horribly injured, I wouldn't mind talking to Mr. 'I'm king of the world'," Lydia wheezed.

"Don't talk," Ingrid said. "You need to rest."

"Yeah, she does," Nate agreed, picking her up as both his brother and Lydia protested and putting the injured girl over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt her," he assured them. "I'm just putting her back where she belongs." And as Lydia yelled and screamed, he carried her across the street and placed her on her bottom on a patch of wet grass a distance away from the school. "There you go," he told her with a smug smile. "A perfect spot for you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ingrid and Ben watched. "Well, aren't you going to do something about how your brother is treating my friend?" she asked him. "Or are you just going to stand there and do nothing like an idiot?"

"Look," Ben told her and scoffed. "I would love to help your friend, but I've learned over time that it's damn near impossible to stop my brother when he's in a mood like this. It's better for all involved if we just let him do what he needs to do."

"Ah, so you're a coward," Ingrid nodded. "I get it. Scared of your big mean brother. You're weak. Wouldn't stand up for anything. It figures. You hide behind all that high and mighty talk to distract from the fact that you're just…able to spout words and that's it. You're pathetic!"

She tried to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close against himself. "You wanna see action?" He whispered as he held her close. "I'll show you action."

"You won't do it," Ingrid breathed as she stared into his eyes that were as dark as her own. "You're not the type."

"Oh, don't be so sure about that," Ben replied and pulled her to him to kiss her. It wasn't a quick kiss, but afterward, Ingrid pulled away and gave him a slap. "Who gave you permission to put your lips all over me, demon boy?"

"You did," he grinned. "You challenged me, I took the challenge. I don't know why you're so sore now."

"I want you to get away from me," Ingrid told him after wiping her mouth and making a disgusted face.

"With pleasure," Ben said. "But I know I'll be seeing you again, Princess." He began to walk away and Ingrid pushed him face down on the ground before striding off and trying to catch up to Lydia and Nathan.

* * *

The need was urgent because although Lydia was hurt, she and Nathan seemed to be duking it out in the grass. She managed to slap him hard, his head snapping to one side before he grabbed her and they struggled a bit more before tumbling onto the grass with his body resting on top of hers.

They stared into one another's eyes, panting heavily. "Whatever you're thinking of doing right now, don't do it," Lydia whispered. "Or you'll be sorry."

"What can a skinny non-demon like you do to me?" Nate scoffed. Then he grinned. "I don't know why we're fighting." He pushed up her shirt. "When there are so many other more pleasurable things we could do, especially in this position."

Lydia squirmed as she felt his fingers touch the bare skin of her belly. They were cold and slimy and it felt like she was being touched by something evil. When she looked up, she started to let out a shriek because it was Nate in his demon form that was looking down at her. She bit his hand and he let out a cry, which gave her time to get to her feet. "I would rather kiss a tarantula than do anything with you!" She spat. Then she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Ingrid approach. She grabbed her friend's hand and begged, "Let's go. I've seen enough."

"Oh, no doubt," Ingrid agreed. "Let's go." They then turned and Ingrid told Ben and Nate, who were watching them, "Thank you so much for being such good examples of every bad thing our fathers ever told us about demons!"

"You're welcome," Nate called to their retreating backs. "It's our pleasure!"

"Do you think we were a bit mean?" Ben asked once they were gone.

"No," Nate shook his head. "We had to get them to leave and not come back. They don't belong here, Benny boy. And I think we did our job well, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah," Ben nodded as they both headed back into school. "I suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do," Nate nodded. "Now, let's go and forget about this. Cause we're never gonna see those two again. I'm sure of it."


	3. A School For Animals

"So how do you feel about the school?" Dorian asked Selina as they drove home in the limo. "Is it everything you hoped for?"

"Well, of course," Selina nodded. "But I have a big concern, though."

"Oh?" Dorian nodded, his brow furrowed. "And what is that?"

"The kids pay attention and are polite in class, but in the hallways and stuff, all I see is making out," Selina told him. "Rampaging hormones. It's not really appropriate for a school, is it? Everywhere you look, public displays of affection are obvious to the point where it's vulgar," Selina complained. "It's a place of learning, not a…a _bordello_." She winced as the word came out of her mouth. She was beginning to sound like her mother. And that was never a good thing.

"If that's your worry, it shouldn't be," Dorian told her. "It's just what demons do. Now, I could see if you were worried about Arthur. I suppose I could ask him to use protection when he finds a girl he likes. But this is just what demons do, dear. It's not something that's easy to change."

"Well, if we were just gonna let them fuck everywhere and not stop them, why even bother to have them be educated in the first place?" Selina questioned. "Why don't we just burn the whole damn school down and let the kids spend the rest of their lives dumb as posts and doing nothing constructive with their time because they're too busy screwing each other?"

"Aren't you being a bit over dramatic?" Dorian asked, eyebrow raised.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm going to make a rule that all sexual activities must go on outside of class. They need rules, Dorian. It'll be good for them."

"It won't stick," Dorian warned her. "The kids will still do what their urges guide them to do."

"Well, then, at the very least, hopefully, they'll be more private about it," Selina sniffed. "And that's better than nothing."

"Yes," Dorian sighed and looked out the window. "I guess it is."

* * *

Selina put the new rule into effect a few days later, and as she hoped, it led to a slight change in how things went at school. Kids still had sex with abandon, but they became more subtle about it, doing it behind closed doors instead of out in the open. This included Arthur.

Lily had just finished with her last class of the day, gym, when she saw him and one of his blonde hangers on sneak into the boys' locker room. Once the door closed behind them, she debated for a few seconds about whether or not she wanted to see what they were up to. Then, she went with it cause she figured that what she would see was something that she could use against him some day.

As she peered in through the hole in the door, she was not surprised to see the blonde back up against a wall and slip off her panties as Arthur pushed his pants down, pushed up her skirt, and bury himself inside her over and, over, their bodies going up and down, up and down, as her moans echoed off the locker room walls.

"Oh, damn," A hot and bothered Lily whispered, opening the door a little as she slipped her hand inside her gym shorts and gave herself a rub. "At least have the decency to use the shower." She moaned as she moved closer and closer to climaxing, wishing she could see more of Arthur than just the back of him. _Much_ more. The fact that just his shirt was off was a big disappointment.

It was while she let pictures of naked Arthur roam through her mind (although she'd tried to look away when he'd first emerged from his cocoon, she hadn't been entirely successful and visions of him still stayed with her), she leaned forward and knocked the door open a little more, the noise causing Arthur to stop and detach himself.

"What was that?" His companion asked. "Do you think it's a guard or something? Are we going to be in trouble?"

"No, just relax," Arthur tried to calm her as he zipped up his pants and put his shirt back on. "I'll go deal with whoever it is." He got closer to the door and Lily tried to get away, but her red hair came into his sight and he chuckled. "Seriously?" He whispered. "You've got to be kidding me." He opened the door all the way, ran out of the gym, and caught Lily by the arm. "Were you watching us?" He asked. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Oh, god no!" Lily shook her head and did her best to look disgusted as she pulled her hand out of his grip. "I can't believe you would think I'd do something that perverted. I have better things to do with my time than watch you have sex! I was just getting ready to leave after gym. That's why I'm here. It didn't have anything to do with you and your extra-curricular activities."

But she was blushing and Arthur could tell that everything she was saying was just a cover to protect herself. He groaned and pulled her close against his hard body, whispering in her ear, "I know it was you watching us. I know it. It's no good lying." He then nibbled on her earlobe before continuing. "That could have been you in there with me, if you weren't so stubborn, that is. Think about that."

They stared at one another, their breathing picking up. Then he put his hands on either side of her face and leaned in to kiss her, and she was about to play along before her brain snapped her out of it and she pushed him away instead. "I've had enough!" She cried as he frowned at her. "I'm sick of you acting like I'm just one of your many hangers-on who does nothing but rhapsodize about your sexual prowess. Get a grip, would you? I'm not that person!" She strode off, not pausing when she heard his voice.

"You may not be, but I know you were still the one watching me in the dark. Apparently, my sexual prowess does _something_ for you, but not in the same way as the others."

* * *

"Arthur!" Selina cried and came to hug him as he entered the apartment. "How was sports practice?"

"Good," Arthur nodded, remembering that was the excuse he'd given his mother so she wouldn't question it when he came home late after being with his latest conquest. He then sniffed and made his way into the kitchen, reaching for cookies that were resting on the counter.

"Well, look at these!" He remarked. "They look great, Mom!"

"Oh, no, don't you eat those!" Selina called. "If you have to have a snack, have something like a peanut butter sandwich, because we're having guests over for a formal dinner and I don't want you getting too filled up beforehand. Oh, and also, I laid out what I want you to wear on your bed, okay?"

"Okay," Arthur agreed, pushing his hair out of his eyes and looking for the peanut butter and bread. "Who's coming to this dinner?"

"Just Elijah, Amy, and Lily," Selina replied easily.

Arthur heard that last name and choked on his sandwich until Selina came and whacked him on the back, which dislodged the sandwich from his throat.

"What did you invite them over for?" he asked, his eyes wide with panic.

Selina shrugged. "Just to have some friendly conversation is all," she said. "What's the matter with you? Do you have a problem with them coming over?"

"No," Arthur shook his head and tried to relax. "Of course not. It'll be nice to see them." He finished his sandwich and then darted off to his room, closing his bedroom door and burying himself under his covers to prepare himself mentally for when _she_ would be on his doorstep, because he knew that after the way that they'd last parted, Lily wouldn't be in the mood to play nice. She'd be in the mood for revenge.

* * *

Just after Arthur got in his suit jacket, dress slacks, and button down shirt, the doorbell rang.

"Would you go get that?" Selina asked her son. "I have my hands full at the moment."

"Oh, all right," he said and went to open the door, greeting Amy and Elijah cordially and giving Lily a quick 'Hello' without looking at her.

But when Elijah and Amy went to sit down, Lily stayed behind. "Will you help me with my jacket?" She asked him.

"Why?" He questioned suspiciously. "Can't you get it on your own?"

"No," she said firmly. "I can't. You have to help me."

So Arthur helped her off with her coat and saw that she was wearing a dress with a black bodice and a long silver skirt.

"Thanks," she told him and reached around to remove the skirt to reveal a tighter, shorter black dress that was mostly made of lace and gave Arthur a good view of her chest. "Now that I've gotten out the door, Daddy can't yell at me for wearing something inappropriate. Isn't it neat how it works?"

"Yeah," Arthur nodded, unable to take his eyes off her. "I bet you really like it cause it lets you be sneaky." They then just stood, staring at each other and unmoving in silence.

"You two coming?" Selina asked when she came upon them.

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "And I have to say that I do share your concern about the inappropriate display of hormones being displayed at school. I know a lot of people don't support you about the new rules, but I think they're a good idea." She grabbed Arthur by the tie and pulled him after her toward the living room. "Some people just don't have manners, do they?"

"Wait, what is she talking about?" Arthur asked his mother.

But Lily chose to answer for Selina instead. "You know that rule your very wise mother made up about people being sent to the office if they're too openly affectionate in public or skipping class to have sex when they should be learning? That's what I'm talking about." She then grinned evilly. "You don't know anyone who behaves that way, do you, Arthur?"

"No, I sure don't," Arthur said as he managed to pull himself free of Lily's grip on his tie. Then he grabbed her and whispered in her ear, "If you say anything to my mother about what you saw me do in the gym, I am going to _kill_ you! Do you understand me?"

Lily just gave him an innocent smile and they made their way to the table where her parents were waiting.

After what she'd done to him, Arthur sat back with a grin on his face as he watched her get told off by Elijah for being sneaky about her dress. "I told you not to wear that!" He said.

"And why not?" Lily asked. "It's a nice dress for a nice dinner like this."

"A bit racy for school, though, wouldn't you say?" Arthur remarked helpfully.

"You stay out of this!" Lily snarled at him. "I wasn't going to wear it to school."

"Well, I should hope not," Elijah said. Then, at the look on Amy's face, he stopped talking and didn't say another word about it.

Lily then took a sip of her soup before saying to Selina, "You know, I saw a couple having sex in the gym the other day. Or was it the locker room? Yeah, it was the locker room. Isn't it amazing how some people just can't control themselves?"

"Well, if what you saw was after school hours then the couple wasn't breaking any rules, so there was no reason to bring it up and start trouble!" Arthur snarled, which made his mother look at him and raise an eyebrow. He then got to his feet and went to stand behind Lily's chair. "I know you're eating, but I'd like to have a word if I could," he said, pulling her to her feet.

"Does it have to be now?" Lily questioned. "Can't it wait?"

"No, it can't," Arthur shook his head. "Come with me." He dragged her off to his room, leaving their parents alone at the table. No one knew what to say until the shouting began.

Elijah and Dorian smiled at one another and Elijah said, "What a shame that our children don't get along. But maybe it's for the best. Them being a couple probably wouldn't be a good thing in the long run."

"Yes," Dorian nodded. "I agree."

But Amy and Selina just looked at one another, grinned, and shook their heads. "Should we tell them how wrong they are?" Selina asked.

"No, that would be too upsetting for them. Let's just let them find it out for themselves," Amy told her. "It'll be more fun that way."

* * *

As was expected, in Arthur's room, things weren't going well.

"Well, someone is in a bad mood!" Lily exclaimed as Arthur paused in his shouting to take a breath. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _you?"_ Arthur asked. "Why the hell would you come here dressed like that and sucking up to my mother about how you agree with her anti-sex crusade? You're gonna tell her that it was me in the gym, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Lily smiled.

"No, you won't," he whispered in her ear after he pushed her against the wall. "You're gonna keep your damn mouth shut!"

"That just depends, doesn't it?" Lily remarked dismissively. She took a few steps toward the door, but Arthur tripped her and she fell on her face.

As she got up, Arthur was laughing. The look on his face infuriated her, and she gave him a hard push so that he landed on his back on the floor. She then fell on top of him, and as Arthur looked up at her, he grinned and ripped the dress off, revealing that Lily was wearing a skimpy black bra and tiny matching panties.

"Oh, nice," he grinned and kissed her bare stomach. "It's almost like you knew I was going to be doing this to you and wanted me to have a nice surprise."

"You're wrong," Lily shook her head and gasped as his lips blazed a trail down toward the waistband of her panties. "I didn't do this for you." Then she moaned. His lips felt good on her skin, but she didn't want to say so.

"Why aren't you stopping me?" He asked her in surprise as he removed her bra and cupped her breasts with his hands before squeezing them gently and tipping his head down to suck first on one nipple, and then the other.

She shut her eyes and let this go on for a bit cause it felt good, but when his hand slid into her panties, she punched him in the eye and got to her feet, putting her bra on and getting on her dress the best she could.

"Hey!" Arthur cried, his hand over the eye she'd hit. "What did you do that for? I thought we were getting along well. And I could feel how wet you were from me touching you, from how badly you wanted me to be inside you, so there was really no reason to stop me."

"Yes, there was," Lily nodded, her hand grasping the silver door knob. "And would you like to hear it? I don't just want to be one of your harem, all right? That may work for some people, but it's not gonna work for me. I need more than that and I just don't think you're the sort of person who can give it to me." She then opened the door and strode out, slamming it loudly behind her before she made her way back to the dinner table, trying to calm her breathing and cool her flushed cheeks.


	4. In The Club

"Okay, here's another case of beer and some other drinks," Vince told Roxie as he brought in a few cases of alcohol. "Do you need help with the glasses and stuff?"

"No, I should be good," Roxie told him. "Can you go check the bathrooms to make sure everything is all right in them?"

"Sure," Vince nodded, even though he'd already checked five times. He then put his arms around Roxie and said, "You have no reason to be nervous tonight. Everything will go great. It's no different than the bar."

"Except for the change in clientele," Roxie reminded him. "I know how werewolves work, but not demons."

"You know, I honestly don't think they'll be any worse than werewolves," Vince told her and poured her a drink. "Here, for your nerves," he said and passed it to her.

"Good," Roxie smiled and gulped it down. "Maybe if I'm drunk, I'll not be thinking about how worried I am."

"Maybe," Vince agreed. "But at the same time, and I know you'll hate me for saying this, you probably shouldn't be drinking on opening night. Between you and me and Sam and Leslie, we'll all keep an eye on things. You'll have nothing to worry about. It'll be fine, okay?"

"Yeah," Roxie smiled and gave him a kiss. "All right. If you say so, I'll believe you."

"Good," Vince grinned back. "Wonderful."

* * *

And as she found out, she had much to worry about. She found out on an unofficial opening so that she and the staff could get used to demon customers that unlike werewolves, who were more about drinking to have fun, young demon men and women were all about sex and dancing, which meant that the girls were all interested in Vince and it didn't take long for a line of them to sit at the bar and stare at her husband as he moved around making drinks while Mike Posner's "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" blared over the stereo.

"You know, you're really good at making those," one of the girls said, smiling and touching his hand as she took her drink while Roxie watched, seething, from the side.

"Thanks," Vince said, acknowledging the compliment but not taking it any further than that. He then turned to look at Roxie, whose eyebrow was raised. "You want to take over bartending?" He asked as the demon girls all groaned. "I think I need to go to the store room and get refills."

"Sure," Roxie grinned and stepped up to the counter as Vince hurried toward the storeroom. "I would love to." She looked at the girls. "All right, one at a time. What can I get you all?"

"I'm not thirsty," a young woman with long dark hair and dark eyes said. "I'm gonna go dance now." Her friends agreed with her and soon Roxie was alone at the bar.

"Well, that chased them all off," She smiled to herself. "I thought it would."

Sam didn't have the same sort of trouble because it was obvious from just looking at him and Leslie together that they were a couple, and in addition, Leslie herself was just beginning to show. The demons respected that.

"You don't have to be jealous," Leslie tried to soothe Roxie when they were both in the bathroom. "Vince won't give in to any of those girls."

"Of course he won't," Roxie nodded. "But I still don't like them touching him like that. If you were in my place, would you?"

"No, of course not," Leslie assured her and put a hand on her stomach. "I guess it's lucky I'm pregnant. They seem to respect that."

"How are you doing, by the way?" Roxie questioned, glad to have a change of subject. "You know, if you need a break, you can just take it. Don't work yourself to death."

"I won't, don't worry," Leslie assured her. "It's good that we did this practice opening with people Dorian knew so that we'd be able to find out exactly what sort of a clientele we're up against."

"Yeah, no kidding," Roxie agreed as she washed her hands. "If all these people just showed up, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it."

"When's the real opening again?" Leslie questioned. "It's not tomorrow, is it?"

"No, Saturday night," Roxie shook her head. "We have a few more days to mentally prepare ourselves. Don't worry."

"Thanks, but I'm not," Leslie told her. "I'm more concerned about _you_ than I am myself." She left the bathroom then and Roxie realized she had a point. There would be more people here for the official opening than there were right now and if this was how she handled a small crowd, she'd really need to work on self-control for the bigger bunch. Could she do it? Of course. But it was going to be a challenge, that was for sure.

* * *

"Well, look who's back?" Nate remarked when they saw Ingrid and Lydia watching the school again. "What made you two want to show your faces here again?"

"We thought we might ask a favor of you," Lydia said. "There's a club opening up, but you have to be a demon or know a demon to get in. At least that's what our fathers say. And since you and your brother are demons, you wanna take us?"

"No," Nate shook his head. "Not really. Why would we take the two of you?"

"What if we pay for your drinks?" Ingrid offered. "If we buy your drinks will you ask Ben if he'll take us?"

"All right," Nate nodded. "I think that could work." He then asked his brother, who came out of the school after a trip to the bathroom. "These two want to go to that demon club, and they say they'll pay for our drinks if we take them. Should we do it?" They hadn't been there during Dorian's original speech, so they had no idea the club was technically for everyone and not just demons.

"I don't know," Ben shrugged. "They may be in over their heads."

"We can handle it," Lydia told him.

"Fine," Ben told her. "But if something bad happens, don't blame us."

"Oh, we won't," Lydia told him. "We know what we're getting into. So…do you want to meet us here and then we'll go to the club after that?"

"All right," Nate said, pleased that that plan didn't involve him making nice with their parents or having to buy her some ridiculous gift. "We'll be waiting here for you."

"Good," Ingrid agreed. "See you then,"

"Bye," Nate called after her as Ben did the same for Lydia, but was ignored.

Then he turned and looked at his brother, who was eying him suspiciously. "You agreed to that awfully quickly," he said. "I hope you don't feel offended or surprised if I ask what you're up to."

"I'm not up to anything," Nate replied with a smile. "At least not yet, anyway. I just want to have a good time. And those girls may be annoying non-demons, but they aren't bad to look at. We could be in worse company."

"True," Ben conceded. "It could be much worse. I think we got off lucky."

* * *

Ingrid and Lydia weren't the only ones who wanted to get into the club. Lily wanted to as well, but there was no way she would accept Arthur's invitation if he asked her. Luckily for her, she didn't have to endure that. Another boy in her math class had asked her first. A young man named Charles who sat behind her in math. He passed her the note as their teacher droned on and on about fractions or something.

 _The Underground reopens tonight. Come with me?_

Lily turned and grinned, mouthing 'Yes, let's go'. They sat back in their seats and looked at the board again. And having secured a date, she was ready to tell Arthur about it. Or not tell him, just to see the look on his face when he saw that she was at the club with someone else.

After math, she _did_ bump into Arthur. "Wanna go to the Underground with me?" He asked, pushing her against the lockers.

"No," Lily smiled and shook her head. "I'm staying into tonight. That's not my thing."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Not your thing?" He repeated.

"Yeah," Lily shrugged. "You know, some people go to clubs and dance all night for fun and some people like to stay home and read. I'm a reader. But I bet you could find someone to go with. You won't have to go alone."

"Of course not," Arthur sighed, feeling very disappointed. "You enjoy your night. But I'll be thinking about you."

"Sure you will," Lily replied skeptically as he walked away. "I doubt it." She then ran into Charles again. He had red hair and blue eyes, and when he spoke, it was in a quiet voice. Now, he looked worried as she reached him.

"I thought you said you and I were going to the opening, but if you want to stay home and read, that's okay," he said.

"No, no," Lily shook her head. "I only said that because I knew he would go whacko if I told him I was going with someone else. You and I are still going."

"Good!" Charles smiled, feeling very relieved. "I was worried for a minute there." He kissed her hand and she couldn't help but giggle a little. "See you then?"

"Yep," Lily nodded. "See you then."

* * *

"You know, you shock me," Ben told Nate as they led Ingrid and Lydia into the club and then told them goodbye temporarily as the girls headed for the bathroom. "I would have thought you'd be more difficult about bringing those girls here. I know I said that before, but I'm so stunned I need to say it again."

"Are you telling me you're actually happy about bringing them?" Nate scoffed. "You know they didn't come because they like us. And we would have had better luck getting dates if they weren't hanging around us." He had thought well of them at first, but being in the car with them on the ride over had made Nate wish he'd had another date.

"Maybe, but they're here with us now and we have to deal with it since it's a club full of demons and they don't have any demon blood at all," Ben said. "We can't leave them alone. I'm gonna get a drink. You want something?"

"No, I'm good," Nate smiled. His brother had a point. It wouldn't be nice to leave the girls alone. He had to watch them, but he didn't have to like it. It was time to amuse himself by having a little fun at Lydia's expense. And he knew just how to do it: He did a little magic so that he became his brother, then waited outside the girls' bathroom.

When Lydia and Ingrid came out of the bathroom, the first thing he did was grab Lydia and kiss her.

"Well, that's a surprise," she said in shock. "Have you had anything to drink?"

"No," he shook his head. "I just wanted to do that before I lost my nerve."

"What do you want me to do now?" Lydia asked. "Fall into your arms? I still remember how you talked to me. It's gonna take more than a kiss that I didn't ask for."

The girls strode off and Nate grinned to himself, so pleased with what he had done. His brother was really gonna have a surprise waiting for him.

Once the girls left the bathroom, they ordered drinks and sat down at a table a few over from where Ben sat, not noticing him as they talked about what had just happened.

"That was really weird, wasn't it?" Lydia asked. "So unexpected of Ben." She scoffed. "But it would figure that he thinks he can just kiss me like that."

Ingrid chuckled. "So it's not just gonna make you fall into his arms?"

Lydia shook her head. "That's what I told him and I meant it. At this point, I would much rather go for Nate if I had to pick one of the two brothers. He may be a bad boy, but at least he doesn't have a stick up his butt. It seems like he knows how to actually have a good time."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Ingrid nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. I would put up with the attitude since he knows how to party."

Ben heard every word of this exchange, like perhaps they meant him to. Feeling very insulted, he headed off to a corner and turned himself into Nate, hoping that his brother wouldn't show up any time soon and ruin the whole situation. Then, after looking in the mirror and reminding himself that his buzz cut was just temporary and soon, he'd have his own hair back, he grinned and strode to Ingrid and Lydia's table.

"Hello, ladies," He said with a grin as he tried to replicate his brother's swaggering walk. "Do you guys wanna dance?"

They looked at each other and then looked at him. "Sure, why not?" Ingrid remarked and took his hand, pulling him toward the floor. The song changed from "Cheap Thrills" by Sia to "This Is What you Came For" by Calvin Harris. After dancing through that, and "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Charlie Puth, Lydia excused herself and went to find 'Ben' because it was obvious that her friend wanted to dance with 'Nate'. She found him in another one of the dance rooms (the club was big enough to have three), and he took her in his arms for a dance.

The first incarnation of the club had had everyone dancing around in total darkness, accompanied only by flash lights or dim neon lighting to see, but in the new building, they'd changed it so that it would only be that way at certain times and the rest of the time, the club would be lit by dim lighting so that it would be dark, but people would still be able to see.

"You know, I'm glad I found you," Lydia told 'Ben'. "Ingrid is dancing with Nate now and it's not as fun to have three people dancing together at the same time. At least not to me."

"You know, I thought of that myself," 'Ben' agreed. "That's why I like to be in here: A different kind of music. Easier to dance to when you're holding someone close." His words were romantic but the song they danced to, "Armageddon" by Michelle Treacy, was not. It was dark, a perfect song for a demon club. By the end, they weren't dancing so much as standing in each other's arms. As the lights came back on, Lydia stood up on her tiptoes and gave 'Ben' a kiss. And not a quick one.

"Wow," he said when she ended it. "What was that for?"

"No reason," Lydia shook her head. "I just felt like it. That's not a problem, is it?"

"No," 'Ben' shook his head. "Of course not. Just a little surprising, that's all. I know what you think of me. I don't care, but I know."

"I know you know," Lydia nodded. "But you don't necessarily have to like someone to kiss 'em, do you?"

"No," 'Ben' shook his head. "I guess not."

It was while 'Nate' and Ingrid were at the bar as Shawn Mendes' "Treat You Better" played that he kissed her, his hands roaming everywhere on her body and even squeezing her butt. It was after his third drink and Ingrid was so shocked that she fell off her stool.

"Are you okay?" He asked and pulled her to her feet, only realizing afterward that showing concern like that was not something his brother would do.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I'm beginning to wonder if you've had too much to drink," Ingrid said. "Why else would you kiss me…Ben?"

"Well, you're paying for our drinks and I had quite a lot so…I wanted to thank you," Ben told her.

"And that's the way you chose to do it," Ingrid nodded. "That figures. Just like your damn brother." She kicked him in the crotch. "And I thought you were the less annoying one. At least compared to your brother. I hope Lydia's realized that the two of you changed places and has kicked him too!"

"Did you always know it was me?" Ben asked. "That I wasn't my brother?" He winced. "And even though you kicked me must like it somehow, otherwise you wouldn't have hung around me so long."

"You wanna dance some more?" Ingrid questioned.

"No, thanks," 'Nate' said. "I think I'll get some food. But you can go dance."

"All right," Ingrid nodded. "I will. But if you get fries or something, save me some, will you?"

"Maybe I will, and maybe I won't," 'Nate' replied. "You'll just see, won't you?"

* * *

It was while this conversation was going on that some people walked through the door and Roxie gasped.

"What?" Leslie asked when Roxie came to get her. "What's going on? What did you see?"

"Well, remember when my brother Arthur stopped by and went on for hours about how pissed off he was that the girl he liked wouldn't come to the club opening with him and then he showed me the picture of her?"

"Yeah," Leslie nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, I just saw her come in with another guy," Roxie told her. "I'm sure of it. He's not gonna like this. Do you think I should tell him? He's down in the wine cellar with Vince at the moment. We should probably get him out of there."

But at Leslie's insistence, both women chose to stay silent, which meant that Arthur was completely blindsided when he saw Lily and her date, a blue demon named Josh (Charles had gotten sick at the last minute and had to cancel) dancing together during Fifth Harmony's "Work From Home." He slammed his drink down on the table, breaking the glass, strode onto the floor, bumping into the pair and giving Josh a hard shove and a punch in the gut, which led to a brief, but intense verbal and physical altercation, which was stopped by Lily.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped at Arthur as everyone else in the club stared. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Arthur whispered angrily, readily turning his attention away from his rival to face Lily and grab her shoulders as he glared at her. "You told me you were too tired and that you were going to stay home. You _lied_ to me!"

"Well, how would you have reacted if I told you that I didn't want to go with you?" Lily asked.

"I wouldn't believe it!" Arthur told her. "Why _wouldn't_ you want to go with me? Why would you go with some other guy?"

"I like him," Lily said, smiling down at Josh, who returned the look, even though his face was swollen and bruised. "I think he's nice. We've had some lovely talks about different things. It's like he really cares about who I am. As for you and me…" she tried to come up with a plausible reason. Then it hit her. "You just…I can't be with you. It's too weird."

"What? Why is it weird?" Arthur demanded. "Tell me!"

"Well, thanks to our past history, you have less of a thrill for me than you do for other people," Lily said. "I babysat you." She ruffled his hair. "Every time I look at you, I see a little kid."

"What if I undressed sometime?" Arthur told her. "Reminded you of our first meeting? Don't you remember what I look like from then?"

"Yes, but once you bathe a little kid when he spits up all over himself, him being naked just has no allure," Lily sighed in an exaggerated, long-suffering way. "I'm sorry, Arthur. But I'm sure one of your many admirers can be the one for you."

"Wait just a minute!" Arthur cried and grabbed her, pulling her close to himself. "Did you say that you used to _bathe_ me? Would you be interested in doing that again? Except we'd both be in the same tub? And you'd be naked too?" He grinned.

"No, thanks," Lily pushed him away. "No amount of money in the world would make me want to do that."

"Whatever," Arthur called after her as she made her way back to Josh, a wicked grin on her lips that he couldn't see. "I know you're lying! You'll be back!"

"No, I won't!" Lily called back. "Deal with it."

But when she was standing right in front of Josh, that was when Arthur decided to stride up to her, grab her, pull her close, and kiss her.

She thought about not responding, but realized that there was a part of her, way, _way_ deep down that liked being kissed by him. So she responded. She had to. And since it would be absolutely the last time (so she could get him out of her system), she didn't feel the least bit guilty as one of her hands threaded through his dark hair and the other slid into the back pocket of his dark jeans.

Then she let out a moan as he tricked her, his lips moving to kiss her neck, which felt damn good, like so many other things he did to her, then making a trail from her neck down her collarbone until she finally broke away at the sound of Josh clearing his throat.

"Yes?" Arthur asked irritably. "Can we help you? Can't you see we're busy?"

"No, we're not," Lily told him, her voice a bit shaky as she tried to slow her breathing. "We're done now. You and me, I mean. Find something else to do with your time."

Arthur just shook his head. "You're really unbelievable. You should be ashamed."

"No," Lily shook her head and gave him a push before taking Josh's hand to lead him to the bar. "You should."


	5. Flights of Fancy

It was another day that Lily was staying late after gym, but this time, she made sure she was alone before she turned on the shower, removed her gym clothes, and stepped under the warm spray. She'd only let the water run over her for a few seconds when she tensed as the shower curtain opened and she felt arms wrap around her body. She opened her mouth to scream, but was stopped when a hand closed over her mouth.

"It's just me, you don't have to scream," Arthur whispered, turning her to face him so that his eyes could roam over her drenched body. "I only want to take a shower with you, that's all. Do you have any idea of how beautiful you are?"

"Oh, I'm sure," Lily said as he released her and her rapid heartbeat began to slow while she grabbed the shower curtain to cover herself up with, even though there was really no point. "I'm sure that's all you want to do. But why do it in the girls' locker room? You must be out of your freaking mind! Do they have showers in the men's room? Why couldn't you use one of those? And I'm not beautiful. I'm…I'm just all right."

"Yes they have them, but I saw you come in here and why use more water if we don't have to?" Arthur grinned. "And besides, there's no one here but us, right? So who the hell cares if I'm in the girls' locker room or the guys' locker room? And if you say you do, I had no idea you were so modest. Probably for the same dumb reason that you don't think you're beautiful, which I just don't get."

"You know what, fine!" Lily threw up her hands after dropping the shower curtain. "I clearly am not going to be able to get rid of you, so we might as well shower together. What the hell?"

"See now was that so hard?" Arthur asked. "I really think you're making all this more difficult than it needs to be." He then noticed her loofah and body wash, took it in hand, and put some wash on the loofah then worked up a lather. "Want me to wash you?" He asked her with a wide grin. "I love the idea of cleaning you up just like you used to do for me."

"All right," Lily nodded. "Don't forget the shampoo, though."

He then grabbed her around the waist to hold her steady against himself, his erection very obvious to her by then as he washed her neck, stomach, and arms. Then he paused and washed her hair, taking time to really work the shampoo in and massage her scalp.

"Why did you change directions when you did?" She questioned. "You know you still have more of my body to do."

"I'm very aware of that, believe me," he told her, his cock throbbing in agreement. "But if I didn't do your hair now, I'd be so distracted that it would never get done."

"Oh," Lily nodded. "I see."

"I thought you would," Arthur replied, before remarking on the lovely shade of red of her hair. Then, he took a deep breath and came to stand in front of her, asking her to part her legs so he could get a better angle to wash her inner thighs.

"All right," she agreed, her breathing picking up as he put more body wash on his hands and ran them over her thighs and down her legs.

"Are you okay?" He asked after the suds were washed off.

"Yeah," she nodded, her voice shaky, though she tried to hide it. "I'm fine."

Then, he pulled her against himself and whispered in her ear, "There's just one place I haven't dealt with yet."

Then her eyes widened as he put his hand between her parted legs, giving her a good rub and entering her over and over with his long finger as she held on tight, her fingers running through his wet hair as her eyes closed tight.

Then he turned the water off and left the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body. "I have to go now," he whispered in her ear. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," Lily said, then shook her head, her eyes opening. "Wait, Arthur, where did you go?" She looked around the bathroom. But he wasn't there, and neither were the clothes he'd presumably brought with him. He was gone.

* * *

"Damn!" Ingrid swore and erased the answer on her algebra homework with such force that it made a hole in the paper. "That's not right, but damn it, what is?" She began hitting her head on the desk until some unexpected company joined her.

"You know, if you're having trouble with math, the last thing that will help you figure it out is hitting your head so hard that you lose brain cells."

"Ben!" She looked up and narrowed her eyes at him. "I didn't even know you went here! What is it that you want?"

"I just came by to help you," Ben replied, coming to stand behind her, putting the pencil in her hand and making her write, leaning forward to smell the scent of her hair as she did so, while his free hand circled her waist. "I was a few carrels over and I heard your distress so I thought I would come and help."

"You can't help me," Ingrid shook her head, moving it out of the way of his nose. "I'm hopeless."

"Yes, I can, princess," he whispered, his lips against her ear. "I know a lot."

"I know a lot too," Ingrid told him after batting him away from her. "Like…I knew that you switched places at the club with your brother. Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"Well, I'm glad you did," he got out. "I thought you were smart enough." He tried to get her to work on Algebra some more, but neither of them could focus. "You know what?" He said at last. "Let's get out of here."

"What?" Ingrid got out. "In the middle of the school day?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Unless you'd rather be sitting here getting a headache over algebra. Then you can stay. I don't mind. I just didn't think that was your cup of tea."

"It's not," Ingrid shook her head. "But that doesn't mean going somewhere with you is a better option. I still don't know if I trust you."

"I'm not saying you have to trust me," he said.

"Give me one good reason why I should go with you," Ingrid challenged after getting to her feet.

That was when Ben grabbed her, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply, and when they pulled apart, Ingrid felt dazed and a little aroused.

"If you liked that, when you come with me, there'll be more where that came from," Ben said. "So…should I lead the way?"

"Oh, fine, let's go," Ingrid huffed, irritated that he took her down so easily. Her father would be so ashamed if he knew.

"I still don't know why you want to take me anywhere," she remarked as Ben opened the driver's side door of his black Jeep and gestured for her to go inside.

"I think you know," he told her. "Because you want it too. I felt it when I was kissing you. And since it's not allowed for us to act on those feelings during school hours, we have to go somewhere else to do it. But I don't mind. It's better that way anyway."

"Oh, so now I'm a notch in your belt," Ingrid rolled her dark eyes. "That's _so_ much better."

He protested this statement as they made their way to the car, but he doubted she was listening. He would have to show her she was wrong if telling her wouldn't work.

They drove in silence to a secluded spot, an old cabin in the middle of the woods that seemed to have been abandoned long ago. Ben parked, got out, opened Ingrid's door, and lifted her out of the jeep, kissing her again as her feet still dangled above the ground. Then he put her down and gestured at the cabin.

"Ladies first," he said gallantly. "I'll follow you inside."

"If we're just here to have sex, there better be a bed in there," she said, "I'm not doing it in the dirt or on the floor."

"Yes, your highness, there _is_ a bed in there, don't worry," Ben told her as he shut the cabin door behind them.

Ingrid stared at the wooden-framed bed with the quilt and other blankets put aside as if someone knew they would be coming and using it. She wondered how to hell that was, but the train of thought soon disappeared as Ben pulled her to him backwards, kissing her neck and pushing up her shirt.

"Are you going to help me take this off?" He whispered. "Or do I have to do this on my own?"

"Well, whichever would be more of a thrill for you, I suspect," Ingrid remarked as he got her shirt and bra off, then lifted her up and carried her over to the bed so he could lay her down and remove everything below the waist.

As she lay there naked in bed, the covers pulled over her body, she expected him to just climb in and join her, but that wasn't so.

"Why are you taking so long?" She asked as she took her hair out of its bun and shook her head. "Having second thoughts?"

"Oh, no," Ben replied. "I need to get something out of my wallet."

"Something like a condom?" Ingrid asked in surprise. "You brought protection? But why?"

"Well, you don't want to get pregnant from this, do you?" He asked. "Or am I wrong? Cause if I'm wrong, just tell me."

"No, no, you're right," Ingrid nodded. "I mean, my father would have a fit if he knew I was doing this with a demon. If I got pregnant by one, he would probably _die_."

At this, Ben paused unwrapping the condom and put it back in his wallet. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I wouldn't want to be responsible for making things bad between you and your father."

"Oh, don't be silly," Ingrid assured him and gestured for him to come to her bedside. She then got out and slowly but surely undressed him, giving him a long, intense look, her hands running down his arms, neck, and belly before she took the condom out of his wallet, unopened it the rest of the way, then grinned at his intake of breath as she put it on.

Then, she waited. But she didn't have to wait long. Now that he was protected, all his caution seemed to have left him. He pulled her tight against him, his lips crashing on hers as they fell onto the bed and he slowly and gently kissed her belly.

While he did that, her head turned toward an empty fireplace and the animal skin rug that lay spread out in front of it.

"I have an idea," she said and motioned for him to get up. They got out of bed and she zapped a fire into the fire place. It made the whole room warm, much warmer than perhaps it needed to be, but Ingrid didn't care. Atmosphere was everything. Then she lay down on the rug, her whole body open to him.

"This was a good idea, even though it's practically on the floor and you said you wouldn't do it that way," he whispered as he got down on his knees beside her and grinned before she threw her arms around his neck, planting kisses all over his face as he gently entered her over and over again, and holding her close while she grinned and moaned his name.

Finally, sweating and exhausted, they lay next to each other on the rug, their features lit by the dancing light of the fire. "That was something, wasn't it?" He whispered as he played with her hair.

"Yeah," she nodded and rolled onto her belly. "It was. My one little act of rebellion."

"You only want to do it once?" He asked. "Was it that bad? You _sounded_ happy!"

"No, no," she laughed and snuggled up next to him, kissing him lightly. "It's just that…my dad, I told you. Not really a fan of demons. And what he'd do if I just stayed with you…it wouldn't be good."

Ben sighed. "I have a question. Do you want to be with me? If there was some way we could get your father to see reason, would you not walk away from this?"

"Of course," Ingrid nodded. "But it's not gonna happen."

"Sure it will," Ben said confidently and hugged her close. "We just have to figure out how."

* * *

Although he'd first found her annoying as hell, Nate's encounter with Lydia at the club had made him feel very intrigued about her, eager to know more. Which is why, late one night, he sneaked into her bedroom, sat on her bed, and waited for her to come in and see him.

And when she did, her eyes widened and she nearly let out a shriek, but she stopped herself just in time before pulling him to his feet and giving him a severe look. "What in the hell do you think you're doing here? Do you know what a risk it is? My family can't _stand_ demons!"

He scoffed and smiled. "Oh, I don't give a damn about that. And since you seem wide awake, why don't you come on a trip with me?"

"Are you _nuts_? I can't just leave in the middle of the night!" Lydia shook her head. "How would I explain that to my parents?"

"It's your job to find a way," he said and slapped her bottom before nudging her toward the door. "And hurry. I'll be waiting for you in my car."

"All right," Lydia sighed. She watched him go and when she was sure he was gone, she went downstairs.

"I see you've finished with your shower," Victoria remarked as she looked at her daughter's bathrobe and wet hair. "Wanna watch a movie with your dad and me?"

"No, I think I'm gonna go to bed now," she stretched and faked a yawn. "I'm very tired all of a sudden. Goodnight." She then ran off to go change and leave with Nate, and Kai and Victoria looked at one another.

"That was weird," Victoria spoke first. "She didn't seem all that tired to me. And it's not very late at all."

Kai chuckled. "You think she's got a boy up there?"

"Oh, I hope not," Victoria sighed. "Or at least if she does that she's careful."

* * *

When Lydia got back to her room, she changed her clothes and, cursing Nate for all he was worth, boosted herself out of her bedroom window before running to his car.

"Well, look who decided to come after all," he chuckled. "Mom and Dad didn't catch you, I take it?"

"Let's just go," Lydia snarled as she sat down next to him and belted herself in. "I want to get this over with. I don't want to chitchat."

"Okay fine," Nate smirked. "Whatever."

* * *

It was when they were some distance away from her house that he finally decided to tell Lydia where they were going. "To a lake I know," he said. "You can see the stars really well there."

"Oh, and I'm sure that stars aren't the _only_ things you're hoping to see when we go to a lake at night," Lydia scoffed. "You don't have to say it out loud. I can read you like a book, Mister Nathan."

"And yet you still didn't take the time to grab a bathing suit before you joined me in the car, did you?" Nate asked with a wink.

"No," Lydia cursed herself. "I didn't."

* * *

When they reached the lake and parked nearby, Lydia was _positive_ that some sort of nakedness would be on the menu, but to her surprise, they didn't start out with that. Instead, as he'd pointed out before, they looked at the stars, lying next to each other in the bed of his truck. They said very few words. Just lay side by side, staring up at the sky, then later drinking beers from a cooler before going back to stargazing.

But then she jumped a little when she felt his hand creep under her shirt. "Race you to the water," He whispered, the truck rocking a little as he sat up, jumped out, and threw in the lake after peeling his clothes off with every step. "Come on, Lydia, join me!" He called when she hesitated, averting her eyes. "You know you want to! You know you like the feeling of living on the edge!"

Lydia sighed and hopped out of the truck bed, stripping off her own clothes and putting them in a neater pile than he had before getting in the water and swimming over to him. "I don't know how you can say that with such confidence," she said. "You don't know anything about me."

He just laughed and put a hand on either side of her face while staring deeply into her eyes while she resisted the urge to move her face closer and closer to his so that her top lip would touch his bottom lip. She settled for reaching out and caressing his bottom lip, which made him grab her hand and kiss the palm. Then he grinned mischievously and dove under the water.

"Oh, that's real funny!" Lydia cried when he didn't surface after a few seconds. "Come on and do it if you're going to pull me under the water or jump up and scare me!"

But he didn't respond and she began to get nervous. "Damn it, Nate! Fuck you if you went and drowned on me! That really sucks the fun out of everything, you know?" Then she let out a cry as someone pinched her bottom. She tried to swim away, but was grabbed and held close after being submerged for a few seconds.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Nate was grinning at her as he held her tight against his naked body. Her hands began to roam over him as she said, "I oughta slug you for scaring me like that. I really thought you were dead!"

Nate grinned. "Well, that's nice, sweetheart! I didn't know you cared! So nice to know you'd miss me!"

"I-I don't," she got out. "I just don't want to be responsible for your death, that's all."

"I'm not going to be dying any time soon," he promised her. "Don't you worry about that. It's one of the perks of what I am, you know. Demon hybrid and all."

"Right," Lydia nodded. "I forgot."

They bobbed next to each other in the water for a little while before he took her and pulled her close to him again. "Lydia?" He got out.

"Yeah?" She asked, reaching up to feel his hair.

"I like your darkness," he admitted. "I find that very attractive about you."

Lydia heard this and gave a nervous chuckle. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Yes, you do," he told her, tipping her face up. "Don't pretend, please. I sense that you and I are a lot alike. The same, even. And it's nice for me to know that I'm not alone. Don't you feel the same way?"

"Maybe," Lydia whispered and then rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't know." She paused, wanting to share something personal, but not quite sure how he would react. "The next thing I'm going to tell you is kind of personal," she said. "If I say it to you, you won't laugh, will you?"

"No," Nate shrugged. "Of course not."

"Well, Mom and Dad have told me that when I was little, I didn't really like to be touched," she said. "Any time someone would put hands on me, I would scream and yell and they didn't know why. Well…" she thought again, "My dad could. But no one else really knew the secret. Even now they can't tell me precisely why I was that way."

"But you're all right with me holding onto you now," Nate pointed out. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, but it's different with you," Lydia said. "There's no desperation for me to like you or for you to like me. Maybe my parents and other family were so desperate for me to get attached before I was ready that I just…refused. But here, it's just us, on a...whatever the hell you want to call this. And then tomorrow, we'll go back to you being you and me being me and that's that."

"Why wouldn't you want to go beyond this?" Nate asked. "I like it. I think it's nice."

"Yeah, but I know I'm not your type," she said. "You don't have to be nice. I'm too skinny in all the wrong places."

"Well, from where I'm standing, you look pretty great," he told her. "You look beautiful. And I wouldn't lie to you about that." He then saw that she was about to open her mouth to protest further, so he kissed her so deeply and so long that when they finally pulled apart, she had no breath to speak. She looked at him in shock, and as the moonlight lit her face, Nate began to think he'd made a mistake.

Then she grinned, pushed him down in the water once more, and when he resurfaced, she pulled him to her, cupped his bottom, and kissed him just as deeply as he had kissed her, over and over again.

* * *

"Nice to see you're back in one piece, Josh," a band of his fellow blue demons chuckled at him. "You told us it would be easy to infiltrate the demon club and find someone to attach yourself to, but you came back with bruises. Did you manage to do what you promised at all? Or was it just a bunch of empty bragging? There are already rumors going around that someone in power has caught wind of the demons that have been troubling people in their sleep and is making an attempt to stop us. We can't have that. Don't tell me that you screwed up more."

"I told you that I didn't!" Josh insisted. "There was a slight bump when I found out that the woman I had my eye on was also loved by Arthur, but she doesn't seem to truly return his feelings. There's still hope! I bet we can get her to turn against him."

"You ought to be sure about that," his leader remarked. "Cause I know you're as upset about the idea of being ruled over by a white demon government as I am. You _are_ , right?"

"Of course!" Josh nodded, his dark eyes flaring. "It's bad enough that we get punished for being so much smarter and more competent than the other species, but I _especially_ don't like seeing that smug look on Arthur's face and that attitude that he's the best cause he's the first demon hybrid."

"You would be," the leader said with a wide grin, taking on his demon form as his liquid dark eyes stared at the younger man. "Cause we all know the first one was you and not him."


	6. In The Heat Of The Moment

It was around breakfast time the following day when Freya went to the living room where John sat by the front door, a nearly empty bottle of bourbon in his hand. "Oh, my god, did you come to bed at all?" She asked in amazement.

"No!" John shook his head and drained the rest of the bourbon bottle before holding it out to his wife. "Ingrid never came home last night and all I could think of were horrible things happening to her. Doesn't that bother you? Where do you think she is?"

Freya shrugged. "It would have been nice if she'd called first, but she probably just went to go hang out with Lydia. I bet she spent the night. I wouldn't worry about it, but you can call her if it bothers you so much." She brought him the phone and said, "There you go. I'm going to eat. Can I get you anything, since you seem unwilling to move away from the door?"

"Could I have some toast and coffee?" John requested, punching in his daughter's phone number as Freya nodded. He had no idea why he hadn't thought of it before.

It rang several times before he heard his daughter's voice. "Hello?"

"Ingrid, where the hell are you, young lady?" He thundered. "You better have a good explanation for why you didn't come home last night. I was worried sick!"

"You were?" Ingrid asked. "But I was with Lydia." The lie slid off her tongue easily, since she knew he'd believe it. "I'm sorry. I should have called. But I thought you would have known. We studied all night. If you want to ask her, go ahead. Cause I know you will."

"You better believe I will," John replied. "And are you going to come home of your own accord, or will I have to come to Lydia's and drag you back?"

"Oh, I'm gonna come home soon," Ingrid told him. "Like I said, I'm sorry I worried you. But I really thought you'd just know where I was and not be worried."

"Well, clearly you were wrong about that, weren't you?" John told her. "See you soon. I'll be waiting here by the door."

"That seems a bit despotic, don't you think?" Freya wanted to know. "I mean, she _is_ at a place we let her be, and it's not like we gave her a curfew." She chuckled. "You know, as tightly wound as you are, I'm surprised you didn't think of that."

John narrowed his eyes and stood up, gulping down his coffee. "Well, that is an oversight that will most definitely be corrected," he told her before striding to the kitchen and getting himself some more toast even though he hadn't even finished his first slice before calling Lydia to see if his daughter was telling the truth about her whereabouts.

* * *

"That was close," Ingrid took a deep breath as she shut off her phone after her father's call. Then she looked at Ben. "Sorry, I have to go. I've definitely stayed too long already. And…I had a good time, but it'll have to be the only one. I don't think I can risk making my father that mad more than once. You understand, right?" She thought he would, since he'd seemed so nice and easy-going before, but to her surprise, his gaze darkened. Apparently, she was wrong.

"So you're just telling me this now?" He asked, grabbing her arm. "I go to all this effort to make a special date for us and you're just gonna throw it away like it's nothing? I don't think I like that!"

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's how it is," Ingrid told him firmly. "And if this is how you really are and that 'nice guy' attitude I saw yesterday was an act, then maybe it's good I get out while I can."

"No, I'm very nice," Ben assured her as he blocked the door. "I just don't like having my feelings played with. I don't know who does." He stepped away from the door and opened it. "I'll let you go now, but we'll be seeing each other again. Cause I want you, Ingrid. And whenever I want something, I get it." He then pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. "And I don't let anything stand in my way."

"Nothing?" Ingrid asked breathlessly. "Well, I can't wait to introduce you to my father. When he stands in your way, and I assure you he will, he's very difficult to move. Goodbye, Ben. And thank you for the nice evening." She extricated herself from his grip, strode out of the cabin, and zapped herself home, all the while thinking of what she would tell her father so that he wouldn't kill her when he saw her again.

* * *

Because John was very thorough, it was his call that woke up Lydia from their slumber in the back of the truck, although, amazingly, it didn't wake up Nate, who still snored softly beside her. She sat up, stretched out her muscles, and then grabbed her insistently ringing phone, wondering just who was calling and what lie she would have to tell to appease them.

"Hello, John," she said when she heard his voice, very relieved that it was not her own father, although she knew she'd have to deal with him later. "Ingrid? Yeah, she was with me. We studied all night." It was just the first thing that came out of her mouth, and although it obviously was not true and she had no idea where Ingrid actually was, she wanted to help her friend. "Sorry we distressed you. But you know how intense studying can get. Yeah, okay. You're welcome. Bye!"

"What was that about?" Nate asked as he put his arms around her and kissed her.

"Ingrid didn't come home last night and her father wondered where she was. He thought she was with me, which is a natural assumption, but very untrue this time."

"Well, where do you think she actually was?" Nate asked. Then they looked at each other and said "With Ben!" at the same time, grinning to themselves.

"Do you really think that's true?" Lydia questioned. "I thought they couldn't stand each other."

Nate chuckled. "Well, apparently you were wrong about that, weren't you? I mean, if you and I can be like this and enjoy ourselves and get along, why can't my brother and your best friend, even if they hated each other at first sight, just like we did? It can happen."

"Apparently," Lydia nodded. "Poor Ingrid. I wonder what she'll tell her father when she finally gets home?"

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry," Nate assured her. "She seems sneaky enough that she can think of a way out of this without getting in trouble with her dad."

Lydia scoffed. "You don't know her dad, obviously." She looked at the time on her phone and gasped. "Speaking of fathers who could get in a snit about this, I need to think about mine and get home. Any minute now, John will probably call my parents about this whole thing and I need to be home to keep them ignorant about where _I_ was last night!" She gave him a quick kiss and jumped out of the back of the truck, dressing quickly and giving Nate an assuring smile. "I had a great time last night. Much more fun than I thought I would. Thanks for coming to get me. We should do this again."

"Yeah, and maybe next time, it can be without the air of sneaking around and feeling like we're doing something wrong," Nate shrugged.

"Really?" Lydia raised an eyebrow. "It really surprises me that you feel that way. You seem like the type to enjoy the thrill of sneaking around."

"I did until I actually did it," Nate told her. "Let's put it that way." He grinned and gave her one last hug, holding her close for several extra seconds as he shut his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair. "Now, I assume you don't want me taking you home. But how will you get back if we came here in my truck?"

"Oh, I have magic," she assured him. "Did I tell you that? I can just zap myself home, no worries."

"All right, good," Nate smiled. "And good luck with your dad!"

"Thanks," Lydia replied. "I don't think it will be any trouble, but it never hurts to be careful." She then disappeared, hoping that she would reach home before John called her father, but because she'd dawdled, they were probably already talking, and she would have some explaining to do about where she'd been all night.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Kai grinned from her bed as Lydia ran into her room and closed the door. "Have a good night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, although her breathing was heavy because she'd run in the house after landing outside and she had no doubt her face was flushed.

"Yes, you do," Kai nodded and came to stand across from her and she noticed, of course, that he was eating some leftover pizza. He'd probably asked her mom to bring him something to eat while he waited. "Your mom and I know you went out with a boy last night. You must've enjoyed yourself since you didn't come back in a timely manner."

"I'm sorry," Lydia apologized, dropping the pretense since he was on to her and there was no point in trying to hide what she'd done. "We just got tired and lost track of time. But we didn't have sex, I swear. Did John call you?"

"Yes, but I went along with what he was asking," Kai assured her. "And you're not in trouble. I'm just glad you're okay. And glad you came back instead of eloping or something." He smiled. "But I think I'm entitled to know just who it is you were with last night. What's his name and what's he like?"

"His name's Nathan," she said, figuring she had to tell him something. "And he's a good guy. I think he really cares about me. That's not something you and Mom have to worry about."

"If he's so great, we want to meet him before you go out next time, all right?" Kai told her.

"Okay," Lydia replied. "He was actually saying before I left that he wanted things to be more out in the open next time we went out too. Doesn't it speak well of him that he wants us all to be on the same page?"

"I suppose," Kai said, giving her a hug and calling to Victoria out the open bedroom door that their daughter had returned. "But we'll see."

* * *

"This coffee cake is great, Mom," Lily complimented Amy. "And Dad, is this a new coffee? It tastes different."

"Yes, it's a different kind," Elijah nodded. "If you hate it, I'm sorry."

"No, it's good!" Lily reassured her.

"I'm so glad you like the coffee cake," Amy smiled at her. "Selina actually gave me the recipe. And speaking of her-" She opened her purse and grabbed a magazine. "I've been meaning to take this to Selina for _ages_. It's got some recipes in it that she wanted to try and I just always forget."

"I can take it for you," Lily offered, reaching out for it after taking a sip of coffee and shoveling the last bite of cake into her mouth. "Please, let me." She wanted to talk to Arthur, and maybe do more, after their shower encounter, and this was the perfect way to see him without saying that's what she wanted directly cause she knew her father would have a fit.

Amy handed it to her and she headed out the door.

"Why would she want to go to Selina's house?" Elijah asked.

"I can think of one reason," Amy replied slyly.

"No!" Elijah's eyes widened with shock. "It can't be! It's not true! She hates Arthur!"

"Sure she does," Amy patted his hand. "Whatever you say, sweetheart. You want another piece of coffee cake? Or more coffee?" She looked closer at him. "Or would a good, stiff drink be better?"

"A good stiff drink," Elijah replied. "In fact, I think I'll get it myself. I probably want more than you're willing to give me."

"I have no doubt about that," Amy sighed.

* * *

It didn't take long for Lily to reach Selina and Dorian's, park in their driveway, stride up to the front door, and ring the doorbell. She waited for Selina to answer, the magazine from her mother rolled up in her hand as she bounced on her heels.

But when the door opened, it wasn't Dorian or Selina on the other side, but Arthur. He was shirtless and barefoot, wearing nothing but pajama bottoms. His expression when he saw her really showed that he was as shocked by the sight of her as she was by the sight of him.

Flustered, she dropped the magazine she held, and as she bent down and fumbled around to pick it up, he grabbed it, they bumped heads, and stood up again.

"Sorry," he told her. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Here's your magazine. You wanna come in?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily nodded, taking the magazine again. She got into the house and he shut the door behind her. "But it's not really my magazine. My mom gave it to me to give to your mom."

"Ah," Arthur nodded. "Okay. My mom's still upstairs, but I'll make sure she gets it. Thanks for bringing it over."

The mission accomplished, they both stood in awkward silence until, remembering his manners, Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Have you eaten already? I can make you toast or eggs or a sandwich with peanut butter and strawberry jelly. And if you don't like strawberry jelly, we have other kinds."

"No, I like strawberry jelly in my sandwiches," Lily assured him and helped him get out the stuff to make it. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Arthur replied.

She sat down at the table and said, "I was surprised to see you answer the door. I had no idea you got up before noon on weekends."

"Dad had to run to the office to do a quick thing, Mom's in the shower, and she asked me if I would listen for phone calls or visitors," Arthur replied. "So…I did, and here you are." He turned around and grinned. "What a nice surprise."

"Yeah, thanks," Lily replied. She waited a little while longer and soon, he sat a plate with a double-decker peanut butter and jelly down in front of her: one layer of peanut butter and strawberry jelly between two slices of bread and another layer of the same on top of that. "This looks really good."

"If you can't eat all of it, that's fine," Arthur said and sat across from her. "I know it's a big sandwich."

"Oh, but that doesn't mean I won't try," Lily assured him and took a big bite after setting the magazine down nearby. The jelly squirted all over her fingers and when she put the sandwich down, she had some around her mouth and on her chin too. "I'm a mess, aren't I?" She asked, dropping the sandwich back on the blue plate and moving to wipe the jelly off with the back of her hand, but Arthur got up and stopped her.

"Wait," he said. "Let _me_ handle that." He pulled her to her feet, took her in his arms, pulled her close, and kissed her, slowly licking the jelly off her mouth and then off her chin and then kissed her again as her hands moved down his bare back and cupped his bottom.

He let out a grunt and began urging her backward until she was leaning against the closed refrigerator door, his hands creeping under her shirt as they kissed each other desperately.

"You know," he breathed, "I haven't been able to stop thinking of you since yesterday," he confessed in a voice heavy with passion as her scent overwhelmed him and he put her hand against his face. "You really _are_ something else, Lily."

"Well, don't sell yourself short," Lily replied with a smile as she ran her hands over his bare chest. "I couldn't stop thinking of you either. You really have grown up, Arthur."

"I should hope you would realize that by now," he grinned, his hands pushing up her skirt and preparing to push her panties down so he could take her right there against the refrigerator. He'd never been so desperate to have a woman before in his life. But before he went any further, he heard a throat clearing. He groaned and turned around to see his mother looking at them with a sheepish expression, her dark hair wet and a pink bathroom wrapped around her.

"Good morning," she greeted as they quickly separated and straightened up their clothes. "Nice to see you, Lily."

"You too," Lily replied and remembered the magazine. "My mom wanted you to have that magazine right there by my plate," she said. "She thought it might have some recipes in it that you would like."

"Well, that's sweet of her to think of me," Selina said as she began flipping through the magazine. "I'll have to call her and thank her."

They stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before Lily, who was blushing as red as her hair, said, "I just came to drop off that magazine and now I have so I'll just go. Thanks for the sandwich, Arthur. Good day, Ms. Warren." She then snatched the sandwich off her plate and made a run for it.

"Well, thanks a lot for ruining that for me," Arthur huffed at his mother. "Couldn't you have just waited? It's one thing to be all dictatorial about sex at school, but why do you have to be like that at home too?"

"I don't think I was being dictatorial," Selina told him. "All I'm guilty of is having bad timing. You know your father and I made a deal with you that we wouldn't be in your business about your sex life cause that's what demons do as long as you used protection and didn't have sex in the kitchen. Remember?"

"Right," Arthur let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Sorry. In the heat of the moment I kind of forgot."

"It's okay," Selina told him.

"I'm gonna get dressed and showered and stuff since you seem to be done, okay?" He told her.

"All right," Selina nodded. "You do that."

Once he was gone, she called Amy. "Thanks for the magazine," she told her. "I think there's gonna be a lot for me to enjoy in it."

"That's what I thought," Amy told her. "I'm glad I was right. I hope Lily showing up with it didn't ruin anything for you."

"No, it was nice to see her," Selina assured her friend. "How does Elijah feel about her coming over?"

"He still hasn't come out of his office yet," Amy sighed.

"Well, then he probably won't want to hear that I caught Arthur and Lily kissing," Selina told her.

"They _did_?" Amy cried. "That's _great_!"

"Yeah, isn't it, though?" Selina chuckled. "I love being right. Don't you?"

"Yep," Amy nodded. "Of course I do. But poor Dorian and Elijah. They aren't gonna like it when we tell them."

"I know," Selina replied. "But they'll get used to it somehow. They have to, otherwise they'll just be needlessly torturing themselves."


	7. How Can I Forget My Feelings

"So you saw Arthur and Lily about to have sex?" Dorian asked as he and Selina chatted over the phone during one of her breaks the following Monday. "And let me guess: you tried to stop them."

"Oh, I didn't just try," Selina told her husband. "I _did_ stop them, not because I didn't want them having sex though. Because he had her up against the fridge. Apparently, he was so overcome with emotion that he forgot he wasn't supposed to have sex in the kitchen. But I _did_ say that depending on how strong the need was, they could go anywhere else."

"Good for you," Dorian told her. "I'm so proud!"

"Why do you sound so shocked?" Selina asked, feeling a little hurt. "I'm not a prude. Everyone thinks I'm a prude. I hear the kids at school talking about when they think I can't hear them. What's happened to me, Dorian? I used to be so cool about stuff like this!"

"I don't think you need to worry," Dorian assured her. "We just haven't been able to make time for each other since we've both been busy. We need to work on that. In fact, are you busy right now?"

"No, I'm on a break," Selina replied. "Are _you_ busy right now? What did you have in mind?"

"I just thought I could stop by and pay you a visit," said smoothly. "If that's all right with you. And don't worry…if you think the children will continue calling you a hypocrite for breaking the school rules with what we're going to do, we can always do it in the parking lot. Not an ideal situation, but it could do in a pinch."

"Oh, I agree. How fast can you get here?" Selina asked.

"Just give me five minutes," Dorian replied. "I'm already in the parking lot. I only need to come up and get you."

"Are you saying that you've been sitting your car in the school parking lot this whole time?" Selina wanted to know.

"Yep, that's what I'm saying," Dorian told her. Then he ended the call and Selina sat back in her desk chair, waiting for him to stride through the door, which he did a few minutes later, picking her up and carrying her out to his car.

"You know," She said after he shut the car door and they kissed, "I'm surprised you drove yourself today."

"Well, this was in my plans and I didn't think it would be polite to subject Jim to it if I didn't have to," Dorian told her as he helped her remove her skirt and panties and then unzipped his pants as she threw her arms around his neck. "Just so I know, how long do I have?"

"Oh, time is not a problem," Selina assured him and then nibbled on his earlobe. "We have lots of it!"

They then began kissing furiously and as he pushed into her, Selina was sure the car was rocking on its wheels, making it very obvious what they were doing, but she didn't care. She hadn't realized how long it had been until just that moment.

After they both had climaxed and were pausing to rest, he took her hand in his, kissing her palm and fingers. "Was that good?" He smiled down at her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It was."

"I'm glad," Dorian told her, detaching himself, zipping up his pants, and then pulling her up to sit. "Now that we're both relaxed, I have something I'd like to discuss with you?"

"Oh?" Selina raised an eyebrow and reached for her panties, which had fallen on the floor between the seats. "What? Is it something that will irritate me? Was this impulsive sex session some sort of bribe?"

"In a way," Dorian nodded. "I just need to request that next time you see Lily and Arthur together, even if it's in the kitchen, let them do what they need to do, all right?"

"But why?" Selina asked. "We set up the house rules for a reason and it's not just so he can break them! And I really think that it's more than just a one-time thing with those two. I know it.

"Well, you're entitled to think that," Dorian shrugged. "But I figure that once he's satisfied his need for Lily, Arthur will be able to move on to other girls who are in no way connected to your ex-husband. He _is_ officially your ex-husband, right?"

"Um, of course!" Selina nodded. "That's been true for a while. I just didn't feel like I needed to make a big deal about it. And why is it that you want to punish Lily for your hatred of Elijah?"

"Don't think of it as a punishment," Dorian told her. "Think of it as a precaution. Cause you know that if Arthur and Lily become a couple, Elijah will just throw the biggest fuss in the entire world and I'm trying to save everyone from having to endure that."

"Are you sure that he's the only one who would be the problem if Lily and Arthur were a thing?" Selina questioned. "Cause you seem pretty upset about the idea yourself! Can you just admit that? Please?"

"Oh, look at the time!" Dorian cried, looking at his watch. "I just realized that I have a meeting in half an hour that I completely forgot about." He grinned at her. "You can make your way back inside on your own, can't you, darling? This was fun. We should do it again sometime. I love you."

"Yeah, you big chicken, I love you too." Selina rolled her eyes, finished dressing, got out of the car, and then, after watching Dorian the chicken drive away, sighed, squared her shoulders, and walked back into the school building, thinking that someone would be sleeping on the couch tonight.

* * *

Meanwhile, Amy was finding out that Elijah was no fonder of Dorian than Dorian was of him. "Selina said that she caught Arthur and Lily doing _what?"_ He asked.

"She found them kissing," Amy replied. "And I don't understand what the problem is."

"The problem is that he had his hands all over our daughter and she let him do it!" Elijah cried. "What happened to hating his guts and wanting to kill him? You remember that picture she drew, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but things change," Amy tried to calm him. "I know you don't like to think about it, but remember that Lily is a demon. She has demon needs. And apparently, Arthur is the one who she wants to help her deal with them."

"And why did you just tell me that?" Elijah wanted to know. "If it was an attempt to make me feel better, it failed!"

"No, it wasn't meant to make you feel better," Amy shook her head. "It was me trying to show you what Lily's reality is, and that if you don't accept it, you're just gonna make yourself miserable."

"Oh, don't you think I know that?" Elijah asked. "I've been through this already with other children. It's not like it's my first time around the block."

"You need to talk to Lily about this," Amy urged him. "I think it would be good for both of you." She paused and kissed his cheek. "You're a really good father, though. I know you wouldn't be this concerned for Lily if you didn't really care for her, would you?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I do care for her. I do. And I _will_ talk to her about my concerns. It's the right thing to do."

"Talk to Lily about what?" Lily asked, coming upon her parents and kissing Elijah on the cheek. She saw the uneasy look on his face and then looked at Amy. "Did you tell him about me and Arthur? I was going to do that myself. Couldn't you have let me?"

"You're right," Amy nodded. "This is something for the two of you to deal with, and I should have stayed out of it. I'm sorry."

"Well, thank you," Lily nodded. Then, she sat down next to her father while Amy quickly excused herself.

"So Mom told you about Arthur and me?" She asked. "And I take it that you're not happy?"

"I'm very surprised," Elijah said and took her hand. "I mean, you're old enough to make your own decisions about that cause I know you're responsible, but my god, why him?"

Lily scoffed. "You know, at times, I ask myself that very question. I don't even know if I have an answer. He's…he's really attractive, and he can be sweet when he puts his mind to it. Like, when I went to drop off the magazine for his mother, he invited me in and made me food. I didn't even have to ask him. He's really not as bad as you think. I mean, I don't think he's totally perfect and if we had actually gone all the way, I would have regretted it at this point, but I think that if he keeps on this path that he's on, I'll be able to love him someday and feel secure about everything." She squeezed Elijah's hand and gave him a smile. "And when that happens, you'll support me, right?"

"Yes," Elijah swore as he hugged her. "I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to get hurt. And if you reach a point where you're certain that you can achieve both those things by being with Arthur, then I'll support you, I promise."

"Thank you, Daddy," Lily grinned widely at him before heading off to her room. "That really means a lot."

* * *

"All right," Arthur told Selina. "You can yell at me for having sex in the kitchen. I know it was wrong." He motioned for his mother to come into the room and get out of the doorway. She sat next to him on the bed and put her arm around him.

"I didn't come to yell at you," she said. "In a way, I thought it was very sweet. It was about more than sex, wasn't it? Do you like her as more than just someone to take into your bed?"

"Yeah, I…I suppose I do," Arthur nodded, blushing a little. "It feels sorta weird. From what I've heard, having so many feelings like that is really unusual. It doesn't seem like a demon thing, I mean. Well, at least not until you're a gazillion years old, like dad. I'm too young for feelings!"

"Well, I think I'll apologize to you for that," Selina smiled and hugged her son. "You probably got them from me."

"Oh, you don't have to feel bad," Arthur told her. "At times, I really like my feelings."

"Good," Selina nodded. "That's good to hear."

"There's just one thing that worries me about them, though," he confessed.

"Oh? And what's that?" Selina questioned.

"I'm worried that might make me look bad in the eyes of the other demons," he confessed. "That's why I have this playboy image, you know? Cause I don't think demons my age are supposed to just be attached to one person. And if the demons at school don't respect me, how the hell am I supposed to run the whole demon world when Dad quits or whatever?"

"I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself," Selina told him. "I mean, look at your dad and me. We're just two people in love with each other and you don't see _him_ worrying about whether or not that'll make him lose the respect of the demon world, right?"

"Well, no," Arthur shook his head. "I guess I didn't think of it that way. But you have no idea how cruel kids can be if you're different!"

"Oh, yes, I do," Selina assured him. "I could probably count on one hand the amount of friends I had growing up. It wasn't very many at all. And yeah, part of it was because I thought a lot of the girls I grew up around were stupid and shallow and not worth my time, but they had bad thoughts about me too because I liked to wear pants and ride horses astride and when they found the literature on abolition and early women's suffrage that I'd hidden away, well…there went any chance I had of being seen as something less than weird in those peoples' eyes. And they didn't even _know_ that I came from a family of werewolves."

"Damn," Arthur stared. "That's a lot to deal with."

"Yeah," Selina scoffed. "You're telling me! But if you want to be with Lily, you should be with Lily, no matter if you have to show emotions or not. Cause if you spend your whole life making others happy and forget about yourself, you just turn into a mess."

"You do?" Arthur asked. "How do you know?"

"Well, I went through it," Selina sighed. "And sometime, remind me to introduce you to my mother. She can tell you a story or two about the follies of living that way."

"Do you think she'll like me, even though I'm a demon?" Arthur questioned.

"Yeah, she will," Selina nodded. "Like I said, she came from a werewolf family. And even though she's just beginning to make peace with the idea herself, it won't make her hate you. I promise. In fact, when she found out I was pregnant, she was happy."

"I wanna meet your family sometime," Arthur said. "I think that might be good for me."

"I think so too," Selina agreed. "I'll see what I can do about that."

* * *

"I'm asking for your father cause he's driving me nuts, but I personally don't care one way or the other," Amy told her daughter. "But…why were you so willing to go drop that magazine off at Dorian and Selina's? Was it because you wanted to see Arthur?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "Cause he and I…we…took a shower together the other day after I got done with gym and…you don't just walk away from that without feelings, right? Cause it felt nice in its way." Lily questioned.

"Well, no, I should think not," Amy shook her head. "How does it make you feel that you did that?"

"We didn't go all the way," Lily said. "We just…we touched a lot. I don't know if I could have gotten through going all the way now."

"Why not?" Amy asked.

"Cause I don't feel like I have his undivided attention yet," Lily sighed. "If I let him go all the way and then he was with his hangers-on the next day, it wouldn't feel like a nice moment. It would just make me feel cheap and dirty."

"Your father would be very pleased to know that you want a definite commitment before you give yourself over to a man," Amy told her. "It seems like that stance is a novelty with demons."

"Yeah, I know," Lily nodded. "I probably got that need from Dad. And you know, I bet I'm the only girl in school who's still a virgin. Not that I feel that that's anything to be ashamed of. Cause I don't. I just…I have this sense that there's some part of Arthur deep down that truly cares for me, and I…I hope that he's willing to be patient with me. I hope he thinks I'm worth waiting for."

"Of course he will," Amy assured her. "And if he doesn't, he's an idiot."

"Yeah, but unfortunately, a damn _attractive_ idiot," Lily groaned and buried her face in her pillow.

Amy ran her hand over her daughter's back for a little bit and then left to join Elijah in their bedroom. "You'll be pleased to know that Lily's waiting to get a commitment from Arthur before she does anything more with him physically," she said.

"Good," Elijah grinned. "I'm very pleased. I'm glad she knows her own worth." He then kissed Amy and said, "What do you say we don't talk about her anymore?"

Amy grinned. "I would _love_ a change of subject. Or maybe we shouldn't just talk at all."

"I couldn't agree more," Elijah grinned as he helped her undress so that she was naked just like he was, and soon she felt his hands running all over her body, warm against her skin and quickly warming her up. He kissed down her belly and inner thighs and then gently pleasured her with his tongue before he kissed her lips, first gently and then with more need as his fingers threaded through her soft red hair and he pushed into her over and over again.

Soon, they stopped to catch their breaths and stared at one another with grins on their faces. "I love you, Amy," Elijah breathed.

She grinned widely and cupped his face with her hands before snuggling into his arms and shutting her eyes. "I love you too," she replied. "Very, very much."

 **A/n: This is the last chapter that will be posted until I get back from vacation around the seventeenth!**


	8. A Girl Of My Own

After the phone call ended, Lily tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. As she lay there in the dark with her covers pulled up to her chin, she thought about what had just happened: Arthur had called her to apologize because he was so upset about causing her distress that it had stopped him from sleeping. He wouldn't feel that way if she meant absolutely _nothing_ to him, right? She tried to sleep, but suddenly, being in bed alone felt very...lonely. There was one way she could think of to fix her problem, even though she knew her father wouldn't approve: she had to go see Arthur. She had to feel the warmth of his body next to hers. That would help her sleep. She wrote her parents a note, left it on her pillow, put on a bathrobe, and made her way to Selina and Dorian's, hoping that neither of them would be put out by her sudden appearance.

* * *

While the phone call had worked Lily up, it had put Arthur's mind at ease, and he was in the middle of a very sound sleep when his eyes popped open as he felt someone get in bed beside him,

"It's me," Lily whispered. "I won't hurt you. Don't worry."

"Lily?" Arthur whispered back. Clearly he was having that dream again, even though it didn't usually start out this way. Now all he could do was sit back and wait for her to straddle him, kissing him as her red hair brushed his chest.

But when that didn't happen, he reached out and pinched the arm that was near him.

"Ouch!" Lily whispered angrily. "What did you do that for? I said I come in peace!"

He got up and turned on the light. "You're really here," he gasped. "I don't believe it."

Lily averted her eyes, her cheeks warm, although she didn't know why. She should have known that he slept naked, and it wasn't like she'd never seen him in the buff before."

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I will explain it to you after you put pants on," she told him. "Or at least boxers. Would that be too much of an imposition?"

"No," Arthur assured her and did what she asked. "Cause I mean, I assume you didn't come here for sex." Then he saw the lacy pink night gown she wore. "Or did you?"

"No," Lily shook her head. "I can put on one of your t-shirts if you like. Or the robe I wore is on your chair."

"You can wear some of my clothes," Arthur told her and pulled out a t-shirt and another pair of boxers. "I don't mind."

After Lily had changed, she climbed back into his bed and snuggled against him as he put his arm around her after turning the lights off. Since they were lying so close together, she could feel his erection against her thigh. This made her turn to face him. "I was gonna ask if I could kiss you," she said. "But I don't want to wreck things for you when you're making this gallant attempt to have self-control and be a gentleman."

"Well, I don't have to," Arthur moved closer, a grin on his lips. "I was only gonna be a gentleman for your benefit, but if you'd rather not, I'm good with that too."

"I thought you wouldn't have a problem with a change of plans," Lily replied with a smile, snuggling close against him as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly while she played with his hair. Then she felt his hand slip under her shirt and she froze.

"Should I stop?" Arthur asked.

"No," Lily shook her head. "We can continue as long as both of us keep our pants on, okay?"

"That's doable," Arthur nodded.

They both removed their shirts and Lily gasped as his hands slowly roamed all over her body and he gently sucked on each nipple in turn before kissing her stomach and running his tongue around her belly button. "How can you do it?" She breathed as he kissed each of her fingers in turn. "How can you not be as turned on as I am right now?"

At this, Arthur grinned, stopped kissing her, got out of bed, and pulled his boxers down to reveal a very obvious erection. "How can you say I'm not aroused?" He told her. one side of his mouth up. "When I clearly am. But I can't do all I want now. Cause I know you don't trust me yet. I know that if I give into my feelings and we do what we really want, you'll just wake up tomorrow and feel horrible and I don't want that. I want this to feel good to you."

"Thank you," Lily smiled and grabbed for her shirt to put it back on, pleased with how perceptive he was. "And you...you can pull your boxers up now if you want to."

Arthur looked down. "Yeah, I probably should." So he pulled them up and joined her in bed again, grinning as she lay her head on his chest and ran her warm fingers down the bare skin of her stomach while nibbling gently on his ear.

All was peaceful until they were startled by a noise in the hallway. They gasped and their eyes widened and they separated, scrambling around to throw the covers over themselves.

"Why are we worrying so much?" Lily asked when the covers were over their heads and they were holding onto one another tight. "It's probably just one of your parents getting up to go to the bathroom, or the house creaking or something. If your parents found us together, they wouldn't care. It's not like we're at my house."

"Speaking of your house," Arthur whispered, "You left your parents a note when you came here, right? They know you're here and safe?"

"They know I'm here," Lily nodded and rested her head on his chest again and giving him another smooch. "But I doubt _my father_ will consider me safe."

* * *

"It says she went out!" Elijah thundered and threw the note at Amy after finding it on Lily's pillow. "And she's still not in her bed! Where do you think she could have gone? What sort of bad things could be happening to her right now?"

"Oh, calm down." Amy urged and sat down with him on Lily's bed. "I bet she just headed to Selina and Elijah's to have sex with Arthur. I have no doubt she's fine."

Elijah bounded to his feet, his eyes wide. "Why did you say that? Is it supposed to make me feel better? Well, it doesn't. Now I just feel worse."

"She's a demon, Elijah," Amy reminded him, taking his hand and squeezing it in an attempt to calm him. "Thanks to your affection and life lessons, she probably has more self-control than the majority of her kind. But sometimes, she's gonna give into urges. And it's with a guy you know rather than one you don't. The demon you know is better than the demon you don't, right?" She gave him a weak smile, but he stayed somber.

"Nothing? Really?" Amy sighed. "I don't know what else I can tell you." She kissed him. "I'm gonna get some coffee, okay?"

"Fine, you do that," Elijah agreed as she left the room. "Can I have some too?"

"Sure, but I'll be making _you_ decaf," Amy told him. "I don't think you need to be riled up any more than you already are."

Elijah rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath in response to this remark, but also managed to get out a curt 'Thank you' too.

It was while they ate breakfast and drank coffee, they heard a knock on the front door. Elijah rose to his feet and screeched as coffee spilled all over his crisp white shirt, "Damn it!"

"That's probably Lily," Amy told him as she headed to the door. "I'll get it and then clean off your shirt, okay?"

As Elijah glowered and poked at his over easy eggs, Amy got the door and let Lily and Selina in.

"Good morning," Selina greeted her former husband. "I've returned with your daughter. I bet you've been worried about her."

"I don't know why, though," Lily told him. "There was a note on my pillow. It's not like I just left."

"It was a very vague note," Elijah told her."Couldn't you have been more specific?"

"Would you have been less worried if I had been more specific?" Lily asked.

"No," Elijah replied. "That would have made it worse!"

Lily shrugged. "Well, now you know why I was vague!"

"Did you go to Arthur's to have sex?" Elijah blurted out.

"I went to spend time with him," Lily admitted to her father. "I couldn't sleep and I thought that being with him would help. and it did! But we stayed clothed the whole time, I swear!" It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't a lie, either.

"She's not lying," Selina said. "They were both completely clothed and I believe her when they say they didn't have sex. I looked in Arthur's eyes and I can always tell."

"See?" Amy told Elijah. "Nothing to worry about. Now that Lily's back, we can all move on with our lives. How about that?"

"Oh, all right," Elijah sighed and got up to pour Selina some coffee after cleaning Elijah's shirt. "I suppose that for the sake of family harmony, and since Lily doesn't seem to be in any trouble, I can let this go." But then he eyed his daughter. "But please don't make a habit of sneaking out at night without saying a word to us."

"Yes, Daddy," Lily nodded. "I promise."

"Good,"Elijah got up and came to hug her and kiss her forehead. "Thank you, darling."

* * *

The next day at school, Lily couldn't help but feel a little let down. She had had such a good and genuine time with Arthur the night before, but now that he was in public, he would probably just ignore her. Not out of malice, of course. But she knew that she was a nobody in the demon world. The people he hung out with were probably the really important ones.

But to her surprise, she found a red rose waiting for her in her locker, and then when she went to lunch, she found him sitting alone at the table with another seat across from him while his usual gaggle of ladies watched enviously.

"I didn't know you felt like sitting alone," she remarked as she stood next to him. "I wanted to thank you for the rose. It was beautiful."

"You're welcome," Arthur smiled and kissed her hand. "I'm glad you liked it. I hoped you would."

She looked over at the table of staring girls and said, "They don't seem too happy," she remarked.

"Who cares?" Arthur shrugged. "Here, take the seat across from me. It's specially for you."

"Well, thanks," Lily sat down. "But are you sure? I don't want to cause any trouble."

Arthur put a hand under Lily's chin and looked into her eyes. "It's no trouble," he said firmly. "And if they're not happy, they can go jump in a lake. I'm the fucking prince. What can they do to me? I'm the boss. Well, besides my dad, I mean. Now would you please stop looking at them and look at me instead?"

Lily grinned and nodded. "Sure. You're much better to look at anyway." She paused, then gave the girls one last significant look before leaning forward and kissing Arthur soundly right there in the middle of the cafeteria and enjoying the gasps of horror the scene inspired. "All right," she said when they pulled apart and a wide-eyed Arthur stared at her. "What's to eat?"

"Any-anything you want," Arthur cleared his throat, his voice shaking a little. "Just pick something and I can make it happen."

"All right," Lily nodded and asked for a burger, grinning as she took a bite. "You really do good work."

"Thanks," Arthur grinned. "I'm glad you like it."

* * *

The attention he'd given her at school had been nice enough, but then when Arthur ushered her into his limo after school, it was even _more_ of a surprise. "It was so sweet of you to take me home," she said. "I always feel weird when Daddy suggests I take his limo, but this just feels nice to me."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Arthur smiled and handed her a box of chocolate covered strawberries. "Would you like one?"

"Yes, please," Lily smiled. "I would love one." She took one out and took a bite, shutting her eyes as she savored the mix of chocolate and fruit.

Meanwhile, Arthur stared as juice dribbled down her chin and her pants were very nearly stained before he got it in his head to give her a napkin to clean herself off with. "Glad I caught that before your pants got stained," he smiled. "As for us going home, I thought we could go somewhere else first if you're agreeable."

"Okay!" Lily agreed eagerly. "Where are you planning on taking me."

"To the club," Arthur smiled. "You know, my dad's club. Have you been there since it was redone?" He paused. "Or would that make too many bad memories for you?"

"You mean because the club is where my birth parents died?" Lily questioned. "It's thoughtful of you to care, but I wasn't there when they died and I've come to terms with it by now. Sure, I would love to come to the club with you."

"Wonderful!" Arthur grinned. "We're gonna have a great time!"

* * *

After Jim parked the limo at the front of the club and Arthur helped Lily out, they went inside and Lily felt shock. Everyone was staring at them as they made their way to a table and a waiter rushed over to take their drink order.

"This is nice," Lily smiled as the man strode away. "We didn't even have to wait at all. They had their drinks and an order of nachos and then got up to dance. Then another thing happenend to surprise Lily: When they got on the dance floor and a slow song came on, everyone retreated to their seats to watch Lily and Arthur dance alone.

"You know, I think I like this," She smiled as he held her close and they swayed under the disco ball to soft music.

"I'm glad you're not unnerved," Arthur remarked. "I thought that having everyone stare during what should be a personal moment would be a bit off-putting."

"No," Lily shook her head and lay her head on his shoulder. "Nothing about this could be off-putting to me."

* * *

But his good mood shattered when he'd dropped Lily off at home and then went to his house. His father was waiting just inside the door with his arms crossed. "What?" He asked. "Why are you upset? Have I done something wrong?"

"I'm not going to yell at you, but we need to talk," Dorian told him. "I've been getting irate phone calls from higher up demons saying that you've been ignoring their daughters in favor of Lily. Have you been doing that? Is it true?"

"Well, yes, I suppose it has, but I don't see what the problem is," Arthur complained. "Shouldn't I be able to be with whomever I want? Why do I have to do what the girls want so they're happy? You got to be with a woman you love!"

"That's true, and I will be the first to agree that it's not a fair situation, but you have to be more careful about snubbing the important demons at your age. When you're the official ruler, you can do whatever you want, but now you have to play ball a little."

"You mean I'm _never_ gonna get to be with Lily even though I'm the prince?" Arthur complained and stomped his foot. "This is just bullshit. I am not happy!"

"I know you are, but it won't be forever," Dorian promised. "It'll just be for a little while until things are more stable and all the different species are more integrated. Do you think you can wait that long?"

"I don't _want_ to wait that long," Arthur sighed, thinking of Lily's supple breasts and soft skin. "But if it's for the good of demons, I guess I can."


	9. In The Line Of Duty

"Looks like someone sent you flowers, Miss Lily," Amy smiled and put them down next to Lily's breakfast plate. "I wonder who sent them?"

"I think I know," Lily bit her lip on a smile and pulled the card out of the bouquet. "But don't worry, Daddy," she said as she caught Elijah's eye. "I won't read the card at the breakfast table so you can stay in your sunny delusion that I'm not seeing anyone."

"Thank you," Elijah said after spraying coffee all over the table cloth. "I appreciate that."

After the breakfast dishes had been cleared away and Elijah had excused himself to spend some time in his office, Amy led Lily to the living room and sat her down on the couch. "So, what does the card say?" She asked with a smile. "It _was_ from Arthur, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Lily giggled. "It was. He says he wants me to come to his house and talk to him about our relationship." She paused, suddenly somber. "I hope it's nothing bad. What if it is?"

"Then you'll cross that bridge when you come to it," Amy told her. "But it can't be anything bad! Arthur really seems to like you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lily hugged her mother. "I guess I'm just worrying for nothing. Thanks for making me feel better."

"You're welcome," Amy told her and kissed her smiling daughter's hair.

* * *

The card with the flowers had asked her to meet Arthur for lunch, so around noon, she got in her nicest blue dress and headed over to Selina and Dorian's. "Hi," she said with a smile when he answered the door and invited her inside. "Thanks for the flowers. They're lovely. And for inviting me to lunch. I like that too."

"Well, I'm glad," Arthur said, taking her hand and bringing her inside. But he was avoiding her eyes and his voice lacked some of its usual warmth.

She had thought they would be dining alone, but was surprised to find Arthur's father waiting for them at the table. "Your message didn't say your father would join us for lunch," she said as Arthur pulled out a chair for her and she sat down.

"I know," Arthur said through his teeth as he glared at Dorian. "I didn't know either. He's _supposed_ to be at work!"

"Everyone gets time off for lunch," Dorian told his son easily. "And I thought I would join you so you told Lily that thing you're supposed to tell her and didn't chicken out."

Lily smiled. "It's so sweet that you're worried about that," she reached out and gave Arthur a tight hug. "But I think he can handle telling me whatever he needs to tell me on his own."

"I don't know about that," Dorian replied, his voice full of doubt. But he fell silence when one of the servants came in to ask what they wanted for lunch and as Lily ate her chicken, spinach, and strawberry salad, she noticed that she was the only one eating. Both Dorian and Arthur's steaks were untouched.

"What's the matter with you two?" She asked. "Why aren't you eating? Not hungry?"

"Not really," Arthur shook his head, made a few half-hearted stabs at his steak, and then pushed his plate away. "You know what? I'm just gonna tell you what I have to tell you now because it's gnawing away at my gut. Then maybe I'll be able to eat."

"All right," Lily grinned, pulled him close and smooched him before letting him go. "Sorry about that," she said. "I guess I'm a little over eager. Ah, what the hell?" She grabbed him again and started another round of kissing till, to her shock, he held her at arms' length. "Please don't do that," he said. "It makes what I'm about to say all the more difficult. In fact," he looked at his father. "Do I _have_ to say it? Can't we placate the higher-up demons in another way that doesn't involve destroying my happiness?"

"Not at the moment," Dorian shook his head. "But it won't be forever, I promise. Just until we get everyone in the demon government on the right side of the mixing species initiative. And until that happens, I can't afford to alienate any of them. You need to do it, Arthur."

"What?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling as if the salad were coming back up again. "Arthur, what's he talking about?"

Arthur sighed and finally found the courage to look into Lily's brown eyes. "Sweetheart, the girls I hang out with at school…they're not just anyone. They're the daughters of high-ranking demons in the demon government. Dad needs to keep them happy so they go along with his idea of allowing demons to mix with other species and have them be part of our lives, not just as vessels to get away from Hazel's control. And part of how that's done is that I entertain their daughters. And when they saw me with you, a lot of them got mad and told their fathers, which made their fathers threaten to remove support from what Dad is doing unless…"

"Unless _what?_ " Lily snapped, even though she already knew the answer. "I want to hear you say it. Unless you're too much of a coward."

"Unless you and I break up," Arthur said, force in his voice. "You're bad for me, Lily. If we're together, it'll ruin everything."

"I saw this coming," Lily got out, trying to stop the tears from falling. No way was she crying in front of him. Or his stupid father. "I told my mom that you were tricking me. I sensed it. But she told me I was being silly. Was this all part of your plan from the beginning?"

"No!" Arthur cried, his voice cracking as he reached out to hold her, but grunted in pain when he kicked her instead. "I really do like you. And having to break things off like this really hurts me!"

"Not as much as I hope kicking you did," Lily's eyes narrowed. "Thank you for lunch. It was a nice way to end our relationship. If I'm lucky, I'll never see you again." She strode out the door, slammed it shut, and then Arthur took a deep breath and glared at his father. "I hope you're happy now that I've done what you want. Are you?"

"Well, I'm more at ease, that's for sure," Dorian told him and helped him to his feet. "Contrary to what you might think, I don't want you to be unhappy. I just…as people in charge, we need to do what's right for the government, not what's just right for ourselves."

"Yeah, I get that," Arthur hissed. "You've already told me a million times. I don't need to hear it again."

"Right," Dorian nodded and helped his son walk to the kitchen. "Let's get you some ice, shall we?"

* * *

"So how was your lunch?" Amy called when she heard the door open. Then she saw her daughter's red puffy face as Lily threw herself into her mother's arms. "Not well, I take it. But how could that be?"

"He says he has to give up our relationship to maintain stability in the demon government or something like that," Lily sniffed. "It's such a weird excuse that I know it has to be bullshit."

"I'm so sorry," Amy sighed. "I thought for sure that something like that wouldn't happen. I think it's awfully strange though, why he would change his mind like this."

"It's not strange at all," Lily grumbled. "He's a self-absorbed royal idiot and he's behaving the way self-absorbed royal idiots do."

"I suppose," Amy remarked, even though she didn't agree with her daughter. A nagging feeling told her that there was more to it that her daughter's hurt feelings wouldn't allow her to see.

Unfortunately (and not surprisingly) when Elijah heard what had happened, he wasn't feeling as charitable.

"I knew that boy would pull something like this!" He cried. "It's painfully obvious to me that Lily is the only trustworthy demon out there and all the rest of them are just liars and scoundrels!" He got up and put on his jacket. "I'm going to give his father a piece of my mind!"

"Oh, is this really necessary?" Amy asked, using her magic to slam the door shut so he couldn't leave. "You don't want to do anything stupid that would get you hurt or killed. I think it might be best to let this be. It's Lily's business. She's a teenager. You can't jump in and rescue her every time."

"Oh yes, I can!" Elijah told her. "Please step aside, Amy. I'm very much aware that I might get hurt doing this, but it's worth it for Lily."

Amy sighed and stepped away from the door, crossing her arms as Elijah charged out of it, then going to wait in the living room with first aid stuff in hand in case he hadn't healed from whatever Dorian did to him before he got home.

* * *

"Oh, what do you want?" Dorian grumbled when Elijah came to the door just before he was about to head back to work.

Elijah didn't respond, but instead punched him in the face. As he fell to the floor, Elijah cried, "Do you know how hurt my daughter is because of your son? Does it matter to you at all?"

"Of course it matters!" Dorian nodded as he stood up and wiped blood from his nose. "But like I've told Arthur, the reasons I have for wanting him to break up with your daughter have nothing to do with her personally. Well, kind of. It's not that I don't like her. I think she's wonderful, and if circumstances were different, I would like for her to be with my son very much. But…"

"But what?" Elijah spat. Then he paused. "Wait a minute. I don't want to hear. It'll probably just make me angrier."

"You're the first of your species, right?" Dorian asked. "You know what it's like to be in charge. Looked up to. Feared. But it's different for us demons. We have to maintain a sort of balance among ourselves or things will descend into chaos and at this time, I really can't afford it. I'm not saying Arthur and Lily will never be together. When things have calmed down, I'll be more than happy to welcome her into the family. It's just that now is not that time. Okay? What's important now is getting the other demons on my side and I need Arthur's help with that."

"It makes sense," Elijah replied, eyes narrowed. "But all the logic in the world won't make up for the fact that when my daughter came home, she had tears in her eyes because you and your son hurt her."

"Well, she kicked him too," Dorian pointed out. "It's not like he got away totally unscathed."

"Good," Elijah nodded then threw another punch in Dorian's face, which was avoided this time and followed by a punch in the eye from Dorian. "Good to see that she didn't let your son get away with it." He then shut the door behind him and headed home to Amy before he could get too beat up. If that happened, he knew he'd get in trouble.

* * *

"Okay, no," Selina said when she found Arthur with a beer in his hand. She'd heard about his confrontation with Dorian earlier that day and what happened with Lily, so she knew exactly why he wanted to drink. "Give me that."

"No!" Arthur shook his head and held the bottle against his body. "It's mine! It'll make me feel better. The only way I'm gonna get through sex with girls who aren't Lily is to be drunk off my ass the entire time. Don't you understand?"

"I do," Selina nodded. "When I was human, it was a tradition in our town for a man in my family to be mayor. It had to do with the fact that we were werewolves and people thought that would make us good protection in case anything threatening came along. Or something. I never quite got it." She shook her head. "And not only that, we were one of the first families in town. So every year for way longer than was necessary, we, along with some of the other first families, threw ourselves a congratulatory party. It was a week-long thing and I always had to be front and center. Be on my best behavior. Not do anything that would make my mother look bad or tarnish my father's memory. I know it's not the same as being royal, but in a sense, I get it. I had a true love of my own, but my mother wanted me to marry a guy with a better reputation that I hated. I know where you're coming from. Trust me. Now please; just give me the beer, okay? There are other ways to deal with your problems." She held out her hand and waited until Arthur finally handed her the beer bottle then, with lower lip shaking, gave her just enough time to put the bottle on the counter before throwing himself into his mother's arms and unburdening himself.

"I hate it all!" He cried. "I hate this fucking position, I hate Dad, I hate those girls, and I just want to be with Lily, damn it! Why is that so fucking hard for everyone to understand?" He lifted up his head and looked into Selina's eyes. "She hates me now, you know? I did what Dad said. I told her that I had to break things off with her to make the others happy and she just…I don't think I've ever seen someone so hurt. I didn't mean to hurt her, and now she'll probably never give me the chance to say it." He scoffed. "Not that I blame her."

"I'll talk to your dad," Selina promised and handed him a tissue. "We'll see if we can't work something out."

"Well, I hope you have better luck with him than I had," Arthur scoffed. "I got nowhere with him!"

"Don't worry," Selina assured him. "I have my ways."

* * *

"You wanna tell me why you separated Arthur and Lily?" Selina demanded of Dorian. "The kid's a wreck! He doesn't deserve that!"

Dorian sighed. "I already told him that it wouldn't be forever. He just has to play the game for a bit and be patient."

"And until he plays along enough, he has to watch his father have everything he wants while you tell him how wrong it is?" Selina scoffed. "How hypocritical can you be? If you get to be with the person you love, high level demon or not, why can't Arthur? Why does the opinion of all those snooty government guys matter?"

"Cause without them, I won't be able to mix demons with other species and make our society a better place!" Dorian said with a smile as he put his hands on her shoulders. "And you're helping me do that in a way that Lily would _not_ help Arthur, which is why you and I get to be together and Arthur and Lily don't."

"Oh, it's nice to hear that I'm just another exhibit on your propaganda machine, like your son," Selina scoffed. "If I'm just here to make a point and you don't have any real feelings for me, let me know, would you?"

"We've been through this before," Dorian said through his teeth as he tried not to lose his temper. "I _do_ have feelings for you. I do! I love you."

"Then let your son be with Lily somehow," Selina replied. "Please. I'm not gonna withhold sex or anything cause that's childish, but…isn't there a part of you, even if it's really deep down, that feels bad about how you're treating your son? Do you realize that at some point, he could decide that he doesn't want to be treated this way, say 'Screw it' and then not talk to you for years cause you didn't respect his needs and wants? Do you?"

"Yes!" Dorian nodded. "I do, believe me. But I can't do what you want. I know that's not something you want to hear, but I can't."

"So you're a coward," Selina sighed and stepped away from him. "All right. I'm gonna go try and comfort Arthur by taking him out to dinner and maybe, if we feel like it, we'll bring home something for you." She turned on her heel, left the room, and slammed the door behind her as Dorian watched in stunned silence.

* * *

"Hey, what's a girl like you doing alone here?" Josh asked as he took a seat next to Lily at the bar of the demon club. "I thought you would have Prince Arthur hanging on your arm. He doesn't seem to be the type to let his favorites get away."

Lily paused sipping her cherry Coke and turned to face him. "Yeah, well, that would apply if I was a favorite, but I'm not. He doesn't like me anymore. We parted ways."

"I'm sorry," Josh replied and sat down, his dark eyes full of fake sympathy. "That's rough. You want me to get you a real drink?"

"I don't know if I can trust you," Lily smiled. "What if you put something in it and then try and kidnap me?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Josh chuckled. "Why would I do something like that?"

"I don't know," Lily shrugged. "It's just what my dad told me to keep in mind whenever guys offer to get me drinks at bars."

"Your dad really sounds like a piece of work," Josh remarked.

"Yeah, he is," Lily stirred her drink. "But I love him." She paused as she watched him get up. "I don't need a drink, but…do you know how to shoot pool? I've always wanted to learn."

"Sure," Josh smiled. "I'd love to."

* * *

He spent an hour or so teaching Lily to play pool, then excused himself, what she'd told him about drugging a drink still going through his mind.

"How was your time at the bar?" Asked one of his bosses when he got back to the hideout. "Did you find out a lot about her? How to get into her mind and get close to her?"

"Well, yeah, but she said something else to me that might make things a lot easier than getting in her head," Josh replied. "I thought about it on the way over here."

"I don't know," his boss protested. "We shouldn't shy away from what works."

"Or maybe we should," Josh grinned. "She's vulnerable now. Apparently, she and Prince Arthur have parted ways. I don't need a long time to get near her. I just need a few minutes."

"A few minutes?" His boss asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Josh nodded confidently and shook out his hair. "A few minutes."


	10. No Less Of A Man

"I know your father is being a pain about this, but are you going to play along?" Selina asked Arthur.

"Yeah," Arthur sighed. "I have to, don't I? Otherwise, he won't shut up about it."

Selina sighed and shook her head. "It's all so stupid. I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "Me too. I just can't get the look on Lily's face after I told her I had to end things out of my mind." Then his phone rang and when he saw who it was, he sighed. "Well, look at that? Duty calls." He then gave his mother a hopeful look. "Are you _sure_ that I can't be drunk before I go?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "Don't you want to be able to look your father in the eye and tell him that you put forth your best effort?"

"Yeah, I guess," Arthur nodded and finally answered the call. "Hi, Dani. You wanna go out tonight?"

"Or we could stay in," said blonde Dani's breathy voice. "It doesn't matter to me."

"Yeah, let's do that," Arthur got out, even though his stomach was twisting and he was regretting even answering the phone. "Let's stay in." The she paused. "Are you heading out the door right now? I hope you won't keep me waiting long. I really missed you."

"Oh, I'm leaving right now," he said. "Don't worry. I'm on my way."

"Good," Dani replied. "Can't wait to see you. Are you eager to see me?"

"Yeah," Arthur lied as he made his way to his car after waving goodbye to his mother. "Of course I'm eager to see you. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Dani shrugged. "You could just be stringing me along while still thinking of that other girl."

"That isn't true," Arthur lied through his teeth. "I'll be at your house soon. Don't keep me waiting."

"All right," Dani told him. "I won't, don't worry."

* * *

When he arrived at Dani's apartment, she smiled and let him in. "I'm so glad you came," she said and helped him take off his coat. "So glad you came to your senses and dumped that redhead. She's nobody. You can do better."

Arthur's fists clenched and he bared his teeth while doing the best he could to resist the urge to slap her. Instead, he grabbed her and kissed her.

"Well, that was sudden," Dani said with a smile when they pulled apart. "I'm glad to see you haven't wasted any time."

"Y-yeah," he got out, the heady smell of her perfume making him feel a little sick. It was as sweet as the pastel design of her apartment. "I guess."

"I had someone bring in some appetizers," Dani told him as she led him to the dining room. "Are you hungry?"

"Not for food," Arthur got out, hoping that she wouldn't figure out he was faking. "For _you_."

Dani smiled and purred, taking his hand and leading him to the bedroom. "I like a man who knows what he wants," she said. "Now, sit down on the bed and I'll go change. I won't be long, I promise."

So he did what she asked, sitting down on the bed and removing his shoes and socks, and trying, just for the sake of his sanity, to picture what she might look like when she emerged from the bathroom. But to his frustration, every time he tried to picture Dani, who was voluptuous and blonde, of course, red-haired, slightly smaller-figured Lily would pop up behind his eyes instead.

"No," he growled and swatted at the air, hoping to make the images go away. "Leave! I don't want you here!"

"What?" Dani asked.

He opened his eyes. She was wearing a white lace bra and panty set under a gauzy white bathrobe. He looked her over and tried to feel something cause even _he_ had to admit that she wasn't an unattractive woman. But no matter how he thought about her, with clothes on or off, he couldn't feel a thing.

"You look hot," he got out and began undressing. "I can't wait to get you naked."

"Oh, you flatterer," Dani giggled and put a hand on his bare chest before kissing him. "You'll just say anything, won't you? I like that in a man."

They got each other naked and climbed into bed where they clung to each other, kissing hungrily, over and over. It took longer than Arthur thought it would for Dani to realize that nothing she did, not kissing him, not running her hands over his body, not even applying gentle pressure to his cock did anything to really arouse him.

"What the hell is going on here?" She asked. "Why are you doing this to me? You promised me a sexy evening and I'm not getting anything here!"

"I can't explain why!" Arthur cried, genuinely shocked that even involuntary arousal wasn't kicking in with her. "I really can't. I'm not intentionally screwing you over, I swear."

"There's screwing going on," Dani narrowed her eyes, got on her bathrobe, and glared at him. "It's a shame it's only metaphorical and not literal. If we're not getting anywhere tonight, and it doesn't look like we are, I want you to leave."

"Well, it's good that I know now that you only like me for my body!" Arthur snapped, flushing with embarrassment even though there was nothing bad about this situation. He clearly was so enamored with Lily that he wasn't aroused by anyone but her any longer. It was just a fact he would have to accept.

"Shut up!" Dani told him. "You know, I'm gonna call all the other girls and let them know how much you let me down so they don't have the same horrible experience."

"Well, you do that," Arthur replied. "I don't give a damn." He then strode out of the room and grabbed fistfuls of appetizers, stuffing them in his mouth as he left and slammed the door loudly behind him.

* * *

"Why are you back so early?" Dorian asked Arthur when he arrived home. "Don't tell me you ran out on Dani."

"I didn't run out on her," Arthur shook his head, barely able to hide his grin. "She asked me to leave."

"Why would she do that?" Dorian wanted to know.

"Well, it seems I had some difficulty performing this evening," Arthur told him. "And before you accuse me of trying to sabotage everything on purpose, I really made an effort. I did. But it just…it wouldn't happen."

"Well, it's okay that it didn't work this time," Selina encouraged, stopping Dorian before he could open his mouth to berate Arthur some more. "Sometimes, people just have off nights. There's always later."

"Oh, I don't know," Arthur shook his head. "Dani was pretty mad when I left. She's probably called the other girls by now and told them about my shame. I'll probably never get another date again."

"I'm sure that's an exaggeration," Selina said, giving him a wink with her back to Dorian as she put her arm around her son. "Maybe you just need to rest up a bit and things will be fine after."

"Maybe," Arthur agreed with an exaggerated sigh. "We'll just have to see." He strode off and once he was out of earshot, that's when Dorian spoke.

"I know he says that he didn't mess things up with Dani on purpose and I want so badly to believe him, but can you blame me for thinking that this is some ploy so that I'll allow him to get back with Lily?"

"No, because he's not an idiot, and he'd _have_ to be an idiot to think that screwing things up on purpose with Dani would assure him a pathway to Lily," Selina pointed out. "And why would he fake having an off night if it wasn't true? Cause that sort of thing gets around and if he inherited his manly pride from you, I don't think he could handle the backlash."

"Oh, very funny," Dorian scowled. "You might want to sheath that sharp wit of yours, my dear. It could be dangerous." He then strode off, Selina's giggles ringing in his ears.

* * *

The next day, Arthur's guess that Dani called everyone she knew and told them about his failure was proven correct the minute he stepped into the lunch room. Everyone was silent for a moment and then the room erupted into laughter. He caught Lily's eye, and of course she wasn't laughing. She just looked confused. He sat down at his usual spot with his fan club because of course they wouldn't refuse him. He could probably be as impotent as he could be and they would still find something about him that attracted them.

It didn't surprise him when their entire lunch conversation, led by Dani, was about his failure. It was as if they didn't even see him. Like they didn't even acknowledge his presence. But he kept his chin up and listened their mocking, his eyes on his lunch, which he ate as fast as he could before picking up his empty tray and striding with dignity from the room.

On the way out, he felt someone grab his hand. "What was that about?" Lily asked when he turned around. "That was brutal, whatever it was. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he sighed. "You don't have to act like you care about me. I don't deserve that." He then pulled his hand from her grip and went to do some studying in the library before his next class.

* * *

"A little bird told me that what happened between you and Dani last night was the talk of the lunchroom today," Selina remarked as she and Arthur drove home. "Are you okay? Do you need to talk about it?"

"No," Arthur shook his head. "It's fine, really. They can laugh all they want. I don't care. What happened happened because I feel things for Lily that none of them will probably ever feel and that makes me proud, not embarrassed."

"That's very mature," Selina smiled and nodded. "I'm very proud of you."

"Have you talked to Dad?" Arthur asked. "Does he still think I faked it on purpose?"

"I hope he's over that," Selina replied. "But you know that you really did your best to do what he asked when you really didn't want to, so you have nothing to feel bad about."

"Thanks," Arthur smiled at her. "I'm glad someone else besides me realizes that."

"Don't worry," Selina assured him. "You know I do."


	11. When You Need Someone

"I know you'll hate me for saying this, and you'll probably even consider it gloating, but…I'm glad that when things went bad for you and Arthur, when you saw his true colors, you were smart enough to get away from him," Elijah complimented Lily. "You know your worth. That's a good thing."

"I know, but I'm beginning to wonder if he's as bad as I thought," Lily confessed. "Something happened when he was with his fan club and it was bad and it got all over the school. He was a laughingstock. It _tortured_ him."

"Well, whatever the reason was, he probably deserved it," Elijah told her and went back to running a lint brush over his suit.

"That's not very charitable," Amy frowned. "Especially if poor Arthur was having a bad day."

"Well, did you expect anything else from me?" Elijah questioned.

"No," Lily sighed. "And don't worry, I'm not gonna run back to him because of one moment of sympathy. He still hurt me and has to do a hell of a lot to win me back."

"Good for you," Elijah smiled. "I like to hear that."

"Oh, I know," Lily sighed. "That's why I said it."

"I have a question," Amy told her daughter. "It will sound like I'm being intrusive, but I promise I don't mean it that way."

"All right," Lily replied. "Shoot."

"What are you doing for a social life now that you and Arthur have parted ways?" Amy questioned. "I don't want you to be just holed up somewhere by yourself. It's not good for you."

"I thought of that too," Lily assured her. "I've been trying to get involved with other people. Maybe get involved in some school activities."

"Good!" Amy smiled with approval. "That's a good idea. And maybe…maybe we could introduce you to some of our other children. That could be good." Amy looked at Elijah. "What do you think about that?"

"Well, since she's a demon, we probably want to keep her away from Laura, at least for now," Elijah said. "I still remember what she wanted to do to Dorian with that pair of scissors and I'm not sure she's over that yet."

"Oh, jeez!" Lily gasped and put a hand to her chest. "Do they all feel that way about demons?"

"Not all of them," Elijah promised. "I actually don't know if some of them even have opinions yet." He looked at Amy. "What about you and Niklaus' girls?"

"I don't know for sure," Amy told him. "But I will definitely call and ask, because I think her meeting her non-murderous siblings wouldn't hurt."

"I don't think so either," Elijah agreed.

While her parents went off and made phone calls, Lily listened to the voice in her head and called Arthur, hoping he would talk to her. Cause he seemed too ashamed to do it last time and she really didn't want him to handle the situation alone.

"Lily, I won't deny that it's good to hear from you," he said when she identified herself. "But like I told you before, I don't deserve your sympathy."

"I know," Lily told him. "I heard that. But I want to give it to you anyway. Cause really, do you have anyone in your life that you're close to like you're close to me? Just because we aren't dating doesn't mean we can't talk, right?"

"Right," Arthur said after a little while. "Cause you're right, I don't have many other people to talk to about this. I mean, there's my mom. She's been pretty supportive through all this, but some things, I just don't feel like telling her because I'm not a kid anymore."

"Yeah, I know," Lily assured him. "I get it. So…are you feeling bad right now?"

"No, not really," Arthur told her easily. "I know that this might sound weird, but what happened was one of the best things that could have. Now, I can fulfill my duties of taking the girls out without having to have sex with them too cause they think I'm incompetent at that now."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Lily asked in amazement. "Why not?"

"Cause there's only one person I want to be with that way and I'm talking to her right now," Arthur replied.

This made Lily smile and blush a bright red that she was glad Arthur couldn't see. "Well, that's very flattering," she told him. "But I still need some time."

"Oh, of course," Arthur assured her. "I get that. Take all the time you need. I still have some things to sort out myself."

"It's so good we're on the same page," Lily remarked.

"I agree," Arthur concurred. "And…thanks for your offer of help about this whole thing. And still talking to me after how Dad and I treated you at lunch. I know that wasn't nice and I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Lily sighed. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," Arthur said.

There was a pause and Lily cleared her throat. "So…if you don't have any troubles you need to talk about, I'm going to let you go now. You probably have a bunch of royal stuff to do anyway, but if you need to talk, I'm always here. Just give me a call."

"All right, I will," Arthur told her. "Thanks again, Lily. You're the best."

"Yeah," Lily told him, her voice cheeky. "I suppose I am."

* * *

Elijah was not the only one who wasn't a fan of her daughter's male friend. John still maintained a healthy dislike for Ben, which Ingrid could understand because who liked to be tied up? But at the same time, that action had made him oddly alluring to her.

Just like they had when she was a baby, Ingrid and John spent a lot of time at the piano, although John was much more of a perfectionist than Ingrid was, which made the activity much less enjoyable than it should have been.

"Why do you always hit that note wrong?" He cried after making her practice the same section of the song over and over. "I need to get some medicine for my head because you make it hurt. While I'm gone, keep practicing."

"All right," Ingrid told her father. But once he was gone, she took her phone out of her purse, which was stuck under the wooden piano bench. "Let me just say that I didn't approve of what you did to my father last time you saw him," she said after calling Ben. But would you mind coming over and getting him off my back? Please?"

"Sure," Ben replied. "I would love to. What's he done to make you so mad? Will I have to be forceful?"

"Well, you don't have to," Ingrid told him. "But I know I won't be able to stop you if you choose to be." She heard the noise of her father coming toward the music room. "And hurry!" She then hung up and quickly threw her phone in her purse, thinking about what small talk she would make with her father until Ben came and dealt with him. Growling, she began pounding out an etude on the piano keys, crying out in frustration every time one of her fingers messed up a key. Why were these damn things so hard? If her father could play them and make it look easy, why couldn't she? Finally, she gave up and waited for her father to return, wondering why he hadn't returned from the bathroom already. The distance between the music room and the nearest bathroom really wasn't a long one. Curious, she gracefully rose from the piano bench and left the room, shutting the door behind her. "Daddy? Where are you?" She called. "Ben? Are you here?"

"In the living room," Ben called. "You're free, don't worry."

Hearing this filled her more with curiosity than ease, so she ran the rest of the way to the living room, her white heels clacking noisily on the hardwood floor.

"Oh, no, not again!" She said when she saw that he'd tied her father to a chair again and gagged him as he struggled so violently against his bindings that she thought he would tip the chair over and hurt himself. "You already trapped him this way once. Can't you be more original the second time?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "You do remember that you were the one who called and asked me a favor, right? Don't you think I deserve a little more consideration? A 'Thank you' at least?"

"I'm sorry," Ingrid conceded, even though her voice was clipped. "Thank you."

"That wasn't very sincere, but I'll take it," Ben told her and came over to take her hand. "You want to go out to lunch or something?"

"Oh, I'd love to," Ingrid nodded. "After being stuck in the music room for so long, I would love some fresh air."

They strode to the front door as John made noises of protest from his chair.

"Do you think we should untie him before we go?" Ingrid questioned Ben.

"No, I think he can learn something from being like that for a while," Ben told her. "And your mom will be back soon, right? She can untie him."

"Okay," Ingrid agreed. "That's a good point. I feel like pizza. Do you?"

"Yes," Ben nodded, opening the door and motioning for her to go ahead of him. "Pizza sounds great."

* * *

Unable to sleep that night, Lydia called Nate to come get her.

"Aren't your parents gonna notice you're gone?" He asked when he drove up and she got in the car. "We probably can't do this too many times. Why don't you introduce me to your parents? Won't it just be easier that way?"

"No, I think being sneaky is much more fun," Lydia replied and locked her arms around him. "Don't you?"

"Sure, but I just don't want you to get in trouble," Nathan replied, giving her a deep kiss before they drove away from her house. "Your parents aren't strict, are they?"

"No," Lydia shook her head. "They met when Dad was in prison and Mom was assigned to watch him. Trust me, us sneaking around like this is tame compared to stuff I know they've done."

"Well, can that be our first activity for the evening?" Nate questioned as he pulled away from Kai and Victoria's house. "I drive around and you tell me the story of how your parents met. It sounds so damn interesting."

"He was a criminal for years and years," Lydia said. "My grandmother never really liked him or thought he was good enough so he would always steal magic to try and get her respect. Finally, he went too far and tried to kill his cousin to get his powers and that's when Grandma called the cops and had Daddy locked away. He then was in a perpetual game of tag with police for years as they would put him in jail and he would get out, and then, finally, they put him in a top-secret, supposedly extra-hard-to-get-out-of cell in the Witch Council building. One day, Mom was there and she sneaked into his cell, and oddly enough, it became apparent that they had some sort of connection the longer she spent with him and so she was recruited to guard him so he couldn't run away again. Then he kidnapped her and took her to his world of solitude and they lived there for a while. Then they wanted to start a family and his mother showed up and messed with things and-"

"Wait," Nate cut her off. "Your mom's parents let her spend time with a guy who was a known criminal? Didn't that worry them?"

"Oh, dear," Lydia sighed and patted Nate's leg while giving him a look of pity. "You have a lot to learn about my family. They really aren't conventional types."

"Neither are mine," Nate said. "My dad basically kidnapped my mom too. And her mom had visions for years that my grandpa would kill her and they're still a couple to this day." He stopped at a stoplight, opened the sunroof, and took Lydia's hand as the wind blew through the car and ruffled their hair. "You know, I thought you were a kindred spirit," he told her. "I sensed it. Good to see I wasn't wrong."

"Yeah," Lydia agreed. "I know, right? We really should meet each other's parents soon, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Nate nodded. "I do." He paused. "Do you think your parents will like me?"

"Well, when I got back after sneaking out the first time, Daddy surmised I was with a guy and he didn't seem too upset about it. Or upset about it at all. That's gotta count for something, right?" Lydia grinned.

"What's your dad's name?" Nate asked. "If he's some big scary criminal, I might have heard of him."

"I don't know if you would have," Lydia said. "But his name is Kai. Kai Parker. Malachai Parker. But only my mom is allowed to call him that."

"All right," Nate nodded and then leaned in for a kiss. "I'll remember that, I promise."


	12. A Chance For A Good Impression

"So how's Lydia doing?" Malachai asked Kai when he came to visit him and Victoria one day. "All right? Not getting into too much trouble, I hope."

"Nothing too bad," Kai replied. "We think she's sneaking out with a guy at night but we haven't actually caught her at it."

"And does that worry you?" Malachai questioned. "Do you _want_ to catch her with a boy if there is one? And if so, what will you do about it?"

"Well, I don't know," Kai admitted. "It seems kind of silly to forbid her from seeing him. I mean, she's strong enough to handle whatever he throws at her and she doesn't seem to have been harmed by what's been going on between the two of them. At the most, we'll probably just tell her that we don't want her sneaking around. Or that we wish she didn't. I don't think that's unreasonable. Do you?"

"No, I don't think so," Malachai shook his head. "She may be supernatural and able to take care of herself than most children, but that doesn't mean you should stop being her parent." He smiled. "I can't wait to hear what she says when you tell her you want to meet the boy. Do you think she'll object?"

"Well, if she does, we're not backing down," Kai said firmly. "We don't ask much of her, but meeting the guy she's seeing is a must. There's no way around it."

"Good luck," Malachai told his nephew.

"Thanks," Kai said. "I don't know how much luck we'll need, but it's a good thought."

* * *

After they got up the next morning, before heading out to breakfast, Kai and Victoria went over their plan to get Lydia to talk about her midnight escapes and just who she did them with.

"I think we should just come right out and ask," Kai said. "I don't see the point of trying to be coy. She'll see right through it and probably get mad that we're treating her like a kid."

"You have a good point," Victoria nodded, getting out of bed and putting on underwear and one of Kai's t-shirts while he watched her intently and licked his bottom lip. "Well, we should get it out of the way now, don't you think? No time like the present."

"Oh, I don't see why we have to rush," Kai replied with a grin as he got out of bed himself, came up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and pulled her close as he nibbled on her ear. "I just thought of something I might need to give myself a little courage."

Victoria rolled her eyes and chuckled, squirming as his hands went under the t-shirt and ran over her body. "Hey, quit stalling! It's not going to be so bad. And we can do this later. You know I'm always up for it."

"Oh, all right," Kai heaved an exaggerated sigh. When they were both presentable, they went out to the breakfast table and were surprised to see that food and coffee had already been laid out for them.

"I hope you don't mind that I made breakfast," Lydia said. "Now, does anyone want anything in their coffee? Should I bring out milk and sugar?"

"Oh, please do," Victoria replied. "And then once you've done that, come out and sit because we all need to have a talk."

"Yeah, we do," Lydia nodded. "I was just about to tell you the same thing." After she got back from the kitchen, they all sat in awkward silence, each waiting for someone else to talk first. Finally, Lydia blurted out, "I've been sneaking out with a guy at night and I thought it was about time I told you. Am I in trouble?"

"Well, have you done anything troublesome?" Victoria asked. "Do we need to have a talk about condoms and responsible behavior?"

"No!" Lydia shook her head, feeling disgusted. "We haven't. I thought you'd want to meet him first. That's what you want, right?"

"Yes," Kai nodded. "In fact, that's just what we were about to insist on."

"Okay, but you have to be nice to him," Lydia told her father. "Or civil at the very least. No plotting to kill him or anything like that."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that," Kai shook his head. "At least not until I decided that I had reason to hate him."

Lydia heard this and turned her attention to her mother. "Make sure he actually tries to get along with Nate first, would you?" She requested. "Don't just let him take one look and then go after him."

"Of course," Victoria assured her daughter. "He'll get a fair trial. Don't worry."

"Good," Lydia let out a breath. "Anything else we need to talk about? Cause I would rather be eating, wouldn't you?"

"I couldn't agree more," Kai replied as they all dug into their eggs.

* * *

"So how did your parents take finding out about us?" Nate asked nervously. "They don't hate me already, do they? Should I wear a cup or something when I come to meet them?"

Lydia smirked and then said, "Both my parents will be there and Mom usually does a good job of keeping Dad in line, but it might not hurt."

"What?" Nate asked, eyes wide. "Seriously? I was joking!" He gulped nervously. "I don't know if I want to do this anymore."

"It'll be okay," Lydia reassured him and patted his arm. "Would you feel more comfortable if we invited Ben and Ingrid to come along with us?"

"Oh, _god_ no!" Nate shook his head. "Please don't do that. It would just make things worse! Ben would probably do something bad and then I would be thought of as evil by association and that's not what I want."

"All right, all right, calm down," Lydia told him. "I won't invite Ben and Lydia. It was just an idea."

"I know," Nate nodded. "I can handle this. It'll be totally fine."

"Really?" Lydia asked and gave his hand a squeeze.

"No, but if I fake it, that'll be better than nothing," Nate told her. "You think I can do it?"

"Of course," Lydia nodded and gave him a smile. "Of course you can."

* * *

"You're meeting Lydia's parents tonight?" Ben asked after inquiring why Nate was dressed up so nice. "You know that won't go well. They'll probably hate you for being a demon and all."

"Hey, just because you alienated Ingrid's father doesn't mean the same thing will happen with me and Lydia's parents, so shut up," Nate remarked as he tried to tie his tie while looking in the bathroom mirror."

"I regret nothing," Ben told his brother, a smile curving his lips. "You might want to bring some rope in case his parents get out of line. That way, at least you and Lydia can have a nice evening."

"I would say 'Thank you' for that suggestion," Nate replied as he finally got his tie tied. "But that would mean that I'm actually gonna do what you say and I'm not. I'm just…I'm gonna be myself and we'll see what happens. I mean, Lydia told me that when parents asked about us and what we were doing, they didn't seem mad, so I'm gonna take that as a positive sign."

"Okay, whatever," Ben scoffed. "You know, you really are no fun at all. Sometimes, I wonder how in the hell you're my brother."

"Yeah, well sometimes I wonder the same thing about you," Nate shot back before turning on his heel and leaving his brother alone in their room.

* * *

"I'll get it!" Lydia cried when she heard the doorbell ring. "No one else needs to get up."

"Okay," Kai said. "You go answer the door. We'll be right here." He continued to eat and then looked at Victoria. "Interesting that the two of you didn't choose a dinner for our first meeting with this guy."

"Well, you have to admit that you can become a little bellicose if your attention has to be on something other than food at meal time," Victoria pointed out. "We just wanted to give him the best chance he could have to make a good impression."

"I suppose that's a good idea," Kai replied, swallowing and rising to his feet as Lydia entered the room with Nate.

"This is him," Lydia said with a smile and nudged Nate forward a little. "This is Nathan."

"I go by Nate," he said and reached for Kai's hand. "Hello, sir."

Kai knew he was just trying to be polite and that laughing in his face wasn't a good idea because the boy was probably already nervous enough as it was, but being called 'Sir' was just so weird that he couldn't help but laugh. He Nate's hand as Victoria frowned and then, gasping for breath between chuckles, excused himself to go hide in the bathroom until he could be serious again.

"Sorry about that," Victoria told Nate. "I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude."

"Oh, I'm not taking it personally." Nate assured her. "I know he could have had a much worse reaction, so it's cool."

When Kai had finally pulled himself together, they got in the car and made their way to the movie. Kai sat up front with Victoria while Nate and Lydia got to sit squished close together in the back, even though there was plenty of space. They made it to the movie theater without trouble, although Lydia noticed the glances that her father would give her and Nate in the overhead mirror, which was a little annoying.

* * *

At the movie theater, Nate and Victoria looked for seats while Kai and Lydia went to get popcorn, soda, and candy, and to no one's surprise, Kai had finished his before the credits even started.

"Damn it," he whispered from his spot next to Victoria. "What in the hell am I supposed to do now?" He reached over for the bag in Victoria's lap. "Can I have some of yours?"

"No," Victoria held the bag out of his reach. "I told you before we came in here that you needed to pace yourself and you didn't listen to me. That's on you. And why do you need to steal mine if you can just zap up some more?"

Kai's eyes widened as he realized that she was right: thanks to John, he had magic again. He zapped himself up another bag of popcorn and munched happily, his eyes on the screen most of the time, except for when he would look away to check on Nate and Lydia, who were sharing red licorice whips and giggling. When he saw Nate's arm go around Lydia's shoulder, he was tempted to move it out of the way, but as he reached out, Victoria saw and slapped his hand away.

"Don't," she whispered firmly. "Let Lydia handle it. Eat your popcorn."

"Oh, all right," Kai sighed and tried to look away. "I will."

"Good," Victoria smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

Kai just glared and stuffed his face with popcorn, and as he got up to go to the bathroom and his soda spilled in Nate's lap, both Victoria and Lydia were left to wonder if it had been an accident or on purpose.

* * *

"Thank you for being such a good sport yesterday," Lydia told Nate as they went out for their evening drive…after dinner, this time. "I hope my dad spilling that soda didn't ruin your pants or anything."

"Oh, I choose to think it was an accident," Nate shrugged. "You know how narrow the aisles of theater seats are." He paused. "So…do you think it went well?"

"You're not dead, so I say it did," Lydia nodded. "And also, I wouldn't be here with you if it had gone bad either. So you can be proud of yourself." She then paused. "I wonder how your family would view me?"

"Oh, I think you'd do all right," Nate assured her. "I think they'd love to meet you. Just tell me when you want to meet them and I'll take you. Not all of them are like Ben, I promise."

"I can handle Ben," Lydia said. "It's not him I'm worried about. It's…it's your dad. I mean, your grandfather and my uncle have been at war for years. Do you think he'll count that against me?"

"Who's your uncle?" Nate questioned.

"Malachai McCullough," Lydia got out. "He's gonna come by later and see me."

"Oh," Nate's eyes widened. "Yeah, I wouldn't mention that you're related to him when I take you to meet my parents. At least not right away. Let's wait to reveal that."

"All right," Lydia nodded. "Whatever you say. I won't protest."


	13. A Most Precious Thing

As Lily sat at a table in the club with a drink in hand, she wondered what in the world she was doing. She had thought that talking with Arthur, making him feel better about all his problems, would make the separation easier on both of them, but instead, it just made it more difficult. She knew he was suffering because he couldn't be with his band of girls the way they wanted him to, and she wanted so badly to make him feel better about it, but at the same time…it just felt too soon. There was still a little bit of nagging doubt in the back of her mind about how committed he would be to her if she let him back into her life and resumed their former relationship.

Thinking about this made her down her drink in one gulp and then go back to the bar to ask for another.

"That's very impressive, you know," Josh told her as she pushed the empty glass in his direction. He was really surprised to get the job of part-time bartender because there were already very obvious rumors about blue demons doing nefarious things so he thought for sure that he wouldn't be trusted. Not that he was doing anything trustworthy at the moment, but still…"What can I get you?" He asked. "You want another drink?"

"Sure, why not?" Lily sighed. "I'm sure one more wouldn't hurt." She lay her head down on the bar after taking a seat on one of the bar stools. "I don't know why I'm drinking. It's not even good for me."

"Well, lots of people do it as a way to cope with stress," Josh told her. "Are you undergoing something stressful? Would you like to talk about it?"

"Oh, no thanks," Lily shook her head. "You don't want to hear my problems."

"Sure I do," Josh replied. "And let me make you a strawberry margarita in the meantime."

"I've never had one of those," Lily told him. "Are they good?"

"Of course," Josh nodded. "I wouldn't offer one to you if they weren't."

Lily smiled at him and waited for him to make her drink. It didn't take long for him to make it and place the pink concoction in front of her. "Thanks," she said and took glass in hand.

"I hope you like it," Josh told her. "Go ahead and have a drink." He then waited as she sipped the margarita, wondering how long it would take the sedative he'd put in it to take effect. Fortunately, it didn't take long. Before the glass was even empty, Lily swayed, then fell face first onto the bar, her glass shattering as pink margarita splattered all over the floor.

Everyone stared at them at that point and people got out of their chairs to come and ask if Lily was all right. This wasn't something Josh needed to deal with. He had a job to do. He had to get her out of here. "It's okay, everyone. She's not hurt at all," he assured them all. "Go back to your seats. This was her third drink. She's more of a lightweight than she realized. I'll get her some help, don't worry."

After everyone got back to their chairs and minded their own business, Josh put the unconscious Lily over his shoulder, took her out to his car, and drove away.

* * *

It was shortly after that that Sam and Leslie returned from the grocery store and saw that there was no one standing behind the bar. "Well, that's odd," he remarked. "What happened to the new part time guy?"

"He took a lightweight to the hospital," one of the patrons replied.

It seemed harmless enough. Sam had seen more than one person underestimate their ability to drink and then pass out and fall out of a chair. "Did he say when he was coming back?"

"No," the answer came. "Didn't say a thing about that."

"I have a bad feeling," Leslie told Sam.

"What sort of bad feeling?" Sam asked, his eyes widening as he looked her over. "You're not going into labor, are you? It's too early for that! I'm not ready!"

Leslie chuckled. "No, that's not it. And if it was, it wouldn't matter if you were ready or not. He comes when he comes. But ever since the new guy was hired, I've not felt he was trustworthy. I felt he was up to something. We should call the police. Or someone in authority. Anyone! I really think there's a problem brewing." She strode among the crowd and said, "What did she look like? The girl he took with him?"

"Prince Arthur's lady friend," someone got out. "The redhead. What's her name?"

"Lily!" Leslie gasped and ran for the phone. "This isn't good! What are we going to tell Dorian? And Lily's poor parents? This is not good!"

"You make the call and I'll take the car and see if I can find her myself," Sam suggested. Then he went and got Roxie who was in the break room. "We have an emergency," he told her. "Lily's been kidnapped! I'll go look for her and you and Leslie and Vince watch over the bar, okay?"

"Was it that new bartender that did it?" Roxie asked. "Fuck! I knew I shouldn't have hired him. I knew it! Well, good luck and godspeed."

"Thanks," Sam replied, then grabbed his coat and strode out to his car.

* * *

Meanwhile, Josh parked the car in front of the hideout, pleased to see that Lily was just waking up as he parked.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," he told her. "It's about time you woke up. Welcome to your new home."

"Wait, what?" Lily asked, sitting up and putting a hand on her throbbing head. "Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?"

"Because you're useful," he said, opening the door and urging her out of the car. "You're Prince Arthur's girlfriend, aren't you? And if he found out you were gone, he would do whatever we asked in order to get you back, wouldn't he?"

"Well, I wouldn't call myself his girlfriend," Lily corrected. "We're on a break at the moment."

"Who gives a damn about semantics?" Josh asked impatiently. "The point is that he cares about you. You have value to him. That's what he want." He gave he a push toward the hideout door. "Now get moving. You're walking too slowly."

"All right, damn it," Lily huffed. "You don't have to be so rude. The least you could do is say 'Please'."

"And I would," Josh assured her. "If I gave a damn about being polite. But I don't. Just get in the damn house, would you?" He waited for her to go, but she just glared at him and refused to move, so, cursing under his breath, he picked her up and carried her into the house, and threw her down on a sofa.

"What will you do with me now?" Lily asked.

"I don't know," Josh shrugged and then proceeded to grab a nearby rope and tie her up with it. "That's for my boss to decide when he gets here."

"You know, I really hate you," she said.

"Oh, I know," he grinned and ruffled her hair. "But I don't mind. You can't please everyone, can you?"

"Fuck off," Lily hissed, and then spat in his face before he gave her a good hard slap and strode off, leaving her alone to wait for his boss and whatever that meant.

* * *

Arthur was sulking in his room when he heard a knock on the door and his mother entered, looking troubled.

"What is it?" He asked, standing up and coming to hug her. "Mom, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"I guess I'm fine," she nodded. "But I'm worried that you won't be when I tell you what your father heard in the phone call he got."

"What was it?" Arthur asked.

"Lily was kidnapped from the club by one of the bartenders," Selina told him. "They don't know where she is or why she was taken. I figured you'd want to know."

"Yes, I would!" Arthur replied, feeling rage well up inside him as he thought of Lily being taken by some nefarious person, probably so they could do her harm. That was the motive. They knew about her connection to him and now she was paying for it.

"Okay, you have to calm down a little," Selina said as she saw her son turn into a demon and hiss in his pale, eye-less glory. "You won't be able to help her if you're so mad you're not thinking clearly."

"Let me do this my way!" He barked in his distorted demon voice. "I'm going out. I'm looking for Lily and going to kill whoever took her!"

"No!" Selina shook her head, running to block the door and becoming a demon herself. "We need to plan better. We can't just barrel into these things. We have to ask your father. He can get help. Maybe he can call Klaus and this person who took Lily can be the first member of that demon reform program he and your sister AnnaLynne want to start."

"I don't want him reformed, I want him dead!" Arthur cried. "Get out of the way, Mother!"

Just as he was about to break the door down, there was a knock and Selina breathed a sigh of relief, slowly regaining her normal appearance as Dorian entered the room.

"Don't worry about Lily," he assured his clearly distraught son. "Well, actually, you can worry about Lily all you want. But the better thing to do would be to come to the office with me and see Klaus and AnnaLynne."

"What good would talking to them do?" Arthur asked. "How will that get Lily back? Shouldn't we make sure Lily is safe before we come up with a plan about how to punish her attacker?"

"Roxie promised me that Sam is out looking for her," Dorian told his son. And we'll get more people on it. She'll be found, I promise."

"She better be found," Arthur told him. "And alive, too. Or else the people looking are going to be as dead as she is, and that's a promise." He then strode out of the room and Dorian and Selina looked at one another helplessly.

"Take him to the office," Selina urged. "At least then he'll feel like he's helping. It might be a good distraction."

"Exactly," Dorian agreed and kissed her. "Why do you think I wanted to take him in the first place?"


	14. The Ransom Of Lily

"How's that plan coming for the boot camp?" Dorian asked when he arrived at the office and made his way into the conference room that Klaus and Annalynne had chosen for their own use. "Is it anywhere close to being workable?"

"Why?" AnnaLynne asked. "Have the demons really started to amp up their attacks?"

"Well, they aren't just infesting people's dreams anymore, if that's what you mean," Dorian told her. "A blue one hired to work at the club as a bartender kidnapped Arthur's girlfriend Lily."

"And I wonder why he would want to do that?" AnnaLynne asked dryly.

"Yes, well," Dorian scoffed. "Now we have to think of some way to handle this as promptly as possible. Otherwise, I believe your brother might do something rash."

"You mean because some nut stole his girlfriend?" AnnaLynne grinned. "Well, there's a big surprise. How long has it been since she's been kidnapped?"

"Not long," Dorian shook his head. "A few hours at most, I believe."

"And what do you know about the demon who took her?" AnnaLynne said. "Anything else besides the fact that it was a blue one? What does his human form look like?"

"Oh, I don't know," Dorian shook his head. "Dark hair, kind of worn long and shaggy, well-tended beard and moustache…if you want more specifics, you'll have to go to the club. The people there see him more than I do."

"All right," Klaus assured him. "We'll do that."

Dorian nodded and left the office to go check on Arthur, who was being comforted by Jeannette. "How are things here?" He asked.

"Well, that's a stupid question," Arthur snapped, his eyes narrowed. "And don't try and tell me that I have to sit here and do nothing while other people go and look for Lily. That's just not gonna happen. The whole reason our relationship is as screwed up as it is that she doesn't believe I genuinely care about her. And what better way to prove that I do than run to her rescue when she's in big trouble?"

"I understand your reasoning," Dorian told him, "I do, don't doubt that. But the whole reason Lily was kidnapped is to draw you out. She's _bait_! If you go and rescue her, something bad could happen to you! You'd be playing right into the kidnapper's hands!"

"So?" Arthur shrugged. "It doesn't mean I shouldn't try anyway, right? If some nut kidnapped Mom to draw you out, you wouldn't care. You'd rescue her. I don't see why I can't feel and act the same way."

"You could be killed!" Dorian tried to plead with him.

"So what if I am?" Arthur shrugged. "It's not like it'll throw the succession out of whack. You and Mom can always have more kids. Or you have a million others with other people. It's not like I'm the only option."

Dorian opened his mouth to protest, but knew it wouldn't do any good and would only serve to make him seem hypocritical, because Arthur did have a point: if Selina was the one who was kidnapped, he would turn heaven and earth over to rescue her. Arthur should be able to do the same. "You have a point," father told son in a hushed voice. "But…but I want you to know that you matter more to me and your mother than you think you do. I know that as of late, I've been treating you more like a propaganda tool than a person and that's wrong. I'm very sorry."

"Thank you," Arthur replied. "I appreciate it. Does that mean that when I find Lily, I can actually be with her instead of just squiring the rich girls around?"

"We'll find some way to work it out if things go the way you want them to with you and Lily," Dorian told him. "You just have to go and get her first."

"Okay!" Arthur stood up, feeling more optimistic. "And in order to get her back, we have to know where she is." He gave his father a look. "Do we know?"

"No," Dorian's shoulders drooped. "That's the one issue. Maybe if you went back to the bar and asked around, someone would know."

That could be," Arthur nodded. "I'll do it!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the hideout, Josh's boss had arrived and was dismayed to find that his underling was no longer in control of the situation with Lily. She had him tied to a chair and gagged and was poking at him with a knife.

"Well, this isn't what I was expecting," the boss remarked when he saw them. "I thought you would be more competent, Josh."

"As you can see, he wasn't," Lily said in a harsh voice. "Now, why am I here? Is it because of Arthur? Cause like I told your lackey here, I don't think he cares enough about me to come rescue me. If I'm supposed to be bait for some reason, you picked the wrong girl. You've wasted my time. That pisses me off." She gave Josh a stab and he let out a scream of pain that made her smile.

Rolling his eyes at how incompetent his lackey was, the leader tried to grab Lily around the waist but she stabbed him in the gut and he fell to the floor. As they both writhed in pain, the leader asked, "What will you do now? Are you going to leave? Tell on us?"

"No, I think I'll stay," Lily said. "At least for a little while." She began strolling about the house, admiring the well-furnished and cavernous rooms. "This is a nice place."

"Why would you stay here when you know you can get away?" Josh asked. "What would be the point?"

"Well, why deprive Arthur of a daring rescue if he really loves me?" Lily asked. "This could be his way to prove it. In fact, he's probably on his way over here now to kick both your asses more than I already have. It's just my luck that I got kidnapped by the most inept pair of idiots the world has ever known. Was the drug in my drink thing just pure dumb luck?" She asked Josh.

"Apparently," he said and winced at the pain in his belly. "You seemed really sad, so that made this plan seem a lot easier."

"Just goes to show you shouldn't underestimate people, should you?" Lily asked, taking his chin in her hand and shaking his head. "I hope you learned a good lesson. Now, get up." She quickly untied Josh and ordered both men to restrain her or do something else that would make it appear that she was being horribly tortured.

"Why are you asking us to do that?" Josh wanted to know.

"To make the rescue look more real!" She cried.

Her captors just looked at one another, dumbstruck. They still weren't sure what was going on. Whether she was crazy or stupid or what. But if she wanted them to tie her up and hurt her, they wouldn't say 'No,' especially not after the humiliation of her overpowering them when that had definitely _not_ been part of their original plan. So they were more than pleased to tie her up, lock her in a room without food or water, and wait for Arthur's rescue that she was so convinced would happen.

* * *

"They'll find her, I promise," Selina tried to comfort Amy and Elijah. "Sam is out looking, Arthur. Klaus, AnnaLynne. And on the bright side, demons aren't easily killed. That's good, right?"

"It's a small comfort," Elijah snapped and then frowned at Amy. "Why did you let her go to that club alone? This is all your fault!"

"Someone else's actions are not my fault!" Amy snapped. "When I let her go to the club, I didn't know she was gonna be kidnapped!"

"Well, what else did you expect when she went to a place full of demons?" Elijah cried.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Selina yelled, trying to shut them both up. "Now, is snapping at each other going to help?"

"No, but I don't see what the hell else we're supposed to do since we're not a part of this," Elijah told her. "You know I'm not good at just sitting around and waiting so don't even _think_ of suggesting that as an option."

"Oh, I know you well enough that that would be a stupid thing for me to suggest, wouldn't it?" Selina asked. "As for what you can do…I suppose you could wait for Lily to call you. Cause I doubt she's in real trouble. She's not just gonna sit idly and let herself be tortured. Hell, you could probably call her and check and see if she has her phone."

"Well, there you go!" Amy grinned. "That's a positive suggestion! Elijah, where's your phone?"

Elijah deftly pulled it out of his breast pocket. "Here it is. Would you mind if I made the call?"

"Of course not, since you're the one who's currently more concerned about Lily," Amy agreed. "Not that I'm not concerned about Lily, but…you know you worry with much more intensity than I do. Would you like Selina and me to leave you alone while you try and get a hold of her?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind, at least until I've had a chance to say a few words. Then I'll call you in and you can talk to her," Elijah replied.

"Okay," Amy nodded.

She and Selina excused themselves and then Elijah punched in his daughter's phone number, his stress rising with each unanswered ring until, when he heard "'Daddy'?" and nearly let out a shout of triumph.

"Yes, darling, I'm here," he said. "Are you badly hurt?"

"Oh, hardly," Lily said. "I could have left by now easily if I wanted to."

"And why haven't you?" Elijah questioned. "Do you know how worried your mother and I are right now?"

"Yes, but this is the perfect opportunity for Arthur to show his feelings so why waste it by just coming home?" Lily questioned. "I hope you're not mad. I hope you understand."

"Well, not really," Elijah huffed. "But if you feel that's what needs to be done, I know I can't stand in your way."

"Good," Lily told him. "Thank you."

"But make sure you give those demons who kidnapped you a lesson in why it's a bad idea," Elijah told her. "Don't just let what they did go unpunished."

"Oh, I've already given them some of what they had coming to them," Lily assured her father. "And I have some other things in mind too."

"Good," Elijah told her. "Make them suffer."

"I will," Lily replied. "Don't worry."


	15. Round Up The Usual Suspects

"You think you know everything," Josh told Lily. "That you can just control us and make us do whatever you want."

"Well, and why not?" Lily asked. "One of the most powerful demons of all time is coming to rescue me after you kidnapped me and he's going to kick all your asses!"

Josh chuckled. It had been while he'd been making her bread and water that he'd thought of an idea that should have come to him long before: lie to her. Make her insecure. What made her so confident now was her complete faith in Arthur's loyalty. He had to shake that. "I don't know," he said.

"What don't you know?" She asked.

"I don't know how long it will be til Arthur gets here," he said. "It might be never. I heard tell around the bar just before we left that he got a girl pregnant. He's not sure which one, though."

"You're making that up," Lily told him, chin thrust forward and eyes narrowed. "You're just trying to get me mad."

"Why would I want to do that?" Josh questioned. "What would be the point?"

"I don't know," Lily shrugged. "Because you're an asshole?"

"I could be," Josh admitted. "Or I could be saving you from giving yourself to the wrong guy. You seem too smart to fall for a guy like him."

"Well, that is where you're wrong!" Lily replied. "Not about me being smart, but about me falling for Arthur. I mean, I don't like him that way. Not if he doesn't feel that way about me. And since when is it your place to tell me who's good enough to date and who isn't? Are you trying to tell me that you want me instead?"

"Of course not," Josh got out when he could finally catch a breath from laughing. "That is absolutely the last thing I meant. How can you ask such a stupid question?" He then dissolved into giggles again. It was priceless. Now that he had that to think about, whatever she did to him wouldn't be so bad. Cause clearly, they wouldn't be the only ones suffering. And that was good enough for him.

* * *

Lily tried her best not to get riled up by what Josh had said about Arthur getting one of his demon girl posse pregnant. That _had_ to be a lie. He was just trying to rile her up. She wasn't dumb enough to think that that was the truth.

But then the voice came in the back of her mind: what if it _was_ true, though? He had had _lots_ of sex with _lots_ of demon girls and she wasn't sure if his parents had told him anything about protection because that wasn't a big demon thing. She sighed. Lies. That's all they were. But just in case they weren't…she wanted things to be even. He couldn't be mad at her for it. That would be hypocritical of him. And besides, it was only this one time.

"Hey," she told Josh when he came down to bring her dinner. "I know that what you're saying about Arthur and the demon girl is complete bullshit, but…you wanna have sex?"

"What?" Josh asked, shocked, even though he told himself that he wouldn't be. "Why would you want to have sex with _me_? I thought you were saving yourself for Prince Arthur."

"I thought about it," she nodded. "But he didn't save himself for me, and what sort of demon would I be if I didn't be with _someone_ at least once in a careless, freewheeling way? _Everyone_ in school has. It'll give me something to say in the school hallway."

They then stared at each other in silence before Josh spoke again. "So this offer to have sex with you is a real and serious thing?" He got out.

"Yeah," Lily nodded, hands on hips. "I think so. Unless you're so emotional that the thought of being a one-night stand is offensive to you?"

"No, of course not!" Josh said, releasing her, picking her up, and carried her to his room where they both undressed without taking much time for foreplay. "It'll make my day if Arthur comes in while we're doing it and sees."

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "I don't think that would hurt him a bit." Then she threw herself at him with such force as their lips met that they both fell back hard onto his bed.

* * *

"I really hope Lily is all right," Arthur told AnnaLynne as they drove to the address that Josh had been foolish enough to put on his application form for the bartender job. "Do you think it's silly of me to worry so much?"

"No, of course not," AnnaLynne replied. "It's natural enough. But I really think she'll be okay."

"Oh, I hope so," Arthur told her. "I just can't think of all the horrible stuff that could be happening right now. All the ways she could be being tortured. By the time they pulled up to the house, Arthur was so worked up that he burst out of the car before he'd even fully parked it and charged into the house while Klaus and AnnaLynne followed behind at a more leisurely pace.

"Have you ever seen him like this?" Klaus questioned as they sat on one of the living room sofas and waited for Arthur to emerge with Lily and busied themselves with dealing with his boss.

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head, stunned. "I haven't. But I think I like it. It works for him. I think Daddy would be proud."

* * *

"Arthur!" Lily cried as he burst into the bedroom, probably led there by the noise she was making. She could see him over Josh's shoulders and he didn't look happy. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Arthur frowned. "I came to rescue you from being kidnapped, but you look like you're enjoying yourself."

"Not really," Lily shook her head. "I'm done." She pushed Josh aside and he protested.

"Oh, come on! We don't have to stop now!" He cried. "He can even join in if you want."

"I don't!" Lily shook her head, looking disgusted.

"I don't either," Arthur frowned. "I brought people with me. They've got your boss in my car. You're coming too. Get some clothes on and come with me."

"What if I don't want to?" Josh smirked.

Then Lily punched him in the nose and pushed him off the bed. "There," she said. "Now he should be easy to grab and cuff, Arthur."

"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job," Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, ordered Josh to dress, and then cuffed him, marching him to the door where they both paused when Arthur realized that Lily wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?" He asked. "Surely you don't want to stay in this hell-hole any more than you have to."

"Maybe I do if the alternative is going home with _you_ ," Lily huffed, staying on the bed, although she did cover herself up with the blankets.

Arthur gave a big sigh and headed back to AnnaLynne. "Take him, please," he told her. "He would be a good first candidate for that demon reform program of yours. And do you have another pair of cuffs I can use?"

"I do," Klaus told him, pulling some out of his pocket. "I had reasons of my own for wanting to use them when I took them from where I took them, but I suppose if you really need them, you can take them and I'll find another pair. Who else do you need to arrest? We have the two kidnappers."

"Now I need to grab Lily," Arthur said, eyes narrowed. "I thought that our reunion after the kidnapping would involve hugs and crying, but apparently, I have to use a little more force cause she's being so difficult."

He stomped off and Klaus smirked. "I wish him the best of luck because I don't think it'll end well for him."

"Gee, you think?" AnnaLynne chuckled.

"Damn you, put me down!" Lily cried several minutes later. Arthur had her hands cuffed behind her back and she was slung over his shoulder. "Why the hell are you doing this to me? I'm going to kill you!"

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try," Arthur told her. "And do you talk to your father with that mouth?" He gave her a spanking and she screamed. "Sorry," he said. "It was probably more alluring when Josh did it. But you seriously can't be in love with a man who lied to you, drugged you, and kidnapped you?"

"You of all people should know that you don't have to be in love with someone to have sex with them, especially if you're a demon," Lily pointed out. "Are you in love with every girl you sleep with?"

"No," Arthur shook his head.

"See, there's my point," Lily said. "I just did it to do it. You don't have to be pissed off. Unless this is something where a royal man can only marry a virgin."

"Oh, no, cause my mom would not apply then," Arthur said. "Dad wouldn't have been able to marry her."

"She certainly wouldn't," Klaus agreed.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing," Klaus told him. "Let's just get these men back to the office, shall we? Get them locked up?"

"Yes, please," AnnaLynne sneezed and stomped on a bug that skittered across the floor by her feet. "I don't want to stay here another minute."

They headed out to the car and Lily called her parents to tell them she was safe, being sure to leave out anything about her and Josh because she knew that saying any of that wouldn't be good for anybody. She just said she was fine now and that she would be coming home soon, and that was it. Nothing else needed to be said. Not to her parents, not to Arthur, not to anybody. And if he kept glaring at her like that in the overhead mirror, she would punch him in the eye. That was for sure.


	16. Being A Bigger Person

"Good morning!" Katherine greeted Elijah and Selina's daughter Laura as she came to start the day's work at the salon. "And before you ask, cause I know you will, no, Gregory will not be coming to pick me up from work. We've decided to go our separate ways and he headed off for Europe to do some do-gooding thing this morning."

"What?" Laura's blue eyes widened. "You and Gregory split up? But why? I don't want to accuse you or say it's mainly your fault, but…"

"Oh, go ahead and say it," Katherine sighed. "Even though the answer is 'No'. I didn't cheat. And neither did he. We just grew apart. Not everything can be as perfectly suited as you and Edward."

"Yeah," Laura smiled and thought of her husband. When she first met him, she didn't think that he was the sort of guy she could fall for at all, since their entire relationship was masterminded by her father as a way to stop Laura from being with someone he considered 'inappropriate'. But it turned out that they fit together a lot better than she'd planned and they'd been happily married for years. It was a good thing. "I guess I'm really lucky." Then her voice hardened a little and her eyes narrowed as she set her gaze on Katherine. "So is the breakup between you and my brother recent? Or has it been in the works for some time? And if that's the case, why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Well, pardon me for thinking that it's not your business to know everything that happens in my relationship with your brother the second it does!" Katherine snapped. Then she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I want you to know that our separation was a mutual thing, though. It wasn't cause of cheating. Just like I told you."

"All right," Laura nodded. "As long as my brother is happy and you're happy. We won't say any more about it. Did you say he left? Where did he go again?"

"To Europe to do something with the shelters," Katherine replied. "Maybe start a branch there or something." Gregory was very much a do-gooder sort who spent his time running a chain of shelters for abused women and women who were pregnant with babies out of wedlock and not getting any support from the baby's father. That was how they'd gotten their daughter, Elizabeth. "He's in Europe, and I'm here."

"Excellent," Laura smiled. "It's nice to know everything is all right and civil between the two of you."

Katherine shrugged. "I give Gregory a lot of credit cause I'm not the easiest person in the world to deal with, but he held out a lot longer than I thought he would."

"Yeah, you don't say…" Laura remarked. She knew this very well too.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "But your brother…he showed me that I could be a good person. He gave me a place to belong, which is something that I haven't had in a long time. And it was good for a while, don't get me wrong. But now that Elizabeth has grown and we didn't get any other kids, I think it's time for me to come back to myself. Embrace the dark side again. Have fun. I kind of missed it when I was mired in domesticity."

"Just _how_ dark do you want to be?" Laura asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not as dark as you were at first, I hope?"

"No, not that bad," Katherine assured her. "Don't worry. I won't be burning down the salon and attacking the customers or anything like that."

"Well, I should hope not," Laura replied before going over to the mirror and gazing at herself. She wore tight black pants and a purple tank top under a black leather jacket, but her usually dyed hair was bright pink. "Do you think I should change my hair to purple too?" She asked Katherine. "Or would that be too matchy?"

"Too matchy," Katherine shook her head. "Don't do it." She paused. "Why are you thinking of changing your hair?"

"Because, to prove to my mother that I am mature and have grown as a person, I want to go to the club she and her new husband are running. It sounds cool in spite of all the demons and I want to look like I fit in with the family," Laura replied. "You wanna come?" She grinned. "Or would the thought of going to a club full of demons scare you?"

"Oh, you _know_ it wouldn't scare me," Katherine smiled. "Let's go. I'll drive. And really, you'll be more freaked out about it than me. When you first found out about your mom and that guy, you attacked him with scissors and I don't think your feelings have changed, no matter what you tell yourself. Admit it." She then launched into an impression of Laura in a demon club. "'I'm Laura and I hate demons! It's so traumatizing to see them! My father adopted a demon girl who's perfectly nice and I still can't get over myself!'" She then gave Laura a wicked grin. "That's you at a demon club."

"Fine, you can come too, but we're paying for our own drinks," Laura told her, ignoring the rest of what she said. "You almost took me for every dollar I had last time when I bought for both of us. And yeah, I might hate demons, but since you're going it's extra important that I'm there so I can keep an eye on you. That way, a horny demon guy won't go after you."

"Why are you complaining?" Katherine asked her. "You got to drink all that you could. Luckily for you, you're a lightweight. If you were as skilled a drinker as your mother, we would have _definitely_ been broke." She grinned. "If that had been the case, though, I could have always compelled the bartender to give us more. You know that. Even though you disapprove of doing it that way and I would have gotten a lecture."

"Of course you would have," Laura nodded. "I would have disapproved less if you got us extra drinks by showing the bartender your boobs."

"Okay," Katherine grinned. "I'll remember that for next time." She paused. "And one more thing: if I want to be with a demon guy, I'll be with a demon guy. I doubt all the spying in the world will stop me. Especially if you're the one who's gonna make sure I control myself." She giggled at the thought of Laura effectively stopping her from doing anything she wanted to do. It was ridiculous. Demons didn't scare her. In fact, it would probably be exciting to be with one. That's why she was so eager to go in the first place.

* * *

"What's the matter with you?" Katherine asked when she came to sit at their table at the club that night and saw that Laura had her head buried in her arms. "You can't be drunk yet. You haven't even drunk anything."

"It's not that," Laura told her in a muffled voice. "I just don't want to see all these demons making out everywhere. It makes me uncomfortable, okay?"

"Well, then why did you suggest we come here?" Katherine asked. "Do I need to remind you that it was _your_ idea?"

"No, you do _not_ need to remind me," Laura sighed and looked up at her. Katherine was wearing a brief, tight leather dress, her hair was teased high, and her make-up was smoky. "You don't have to sit here with me when you clearly want to party. Go knock yourself out. From how free and easy people are around here, you shouldn't have trouble finding yourself someone to spend the evening with."

"Okay," Katherine nodded and stood up. "Thank you!" She left Laura at the table and got out on the dance floor, where, of course, she was soon surrounded by a bunch of attractive demon men. She felt their bodies against her as the music blared but then, suddenly, she felt nothing but air. She opened her eyes and turned, finding herself face to face with a dark-eyed man in a suit.

"Hi," she said.

"Hello," he told her with a grin and held out his hand. "Sorry all of your friends had to run. You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" He pulled her close to him before she could answer and Katherine, who usually feared no one, felt a chill down her spine. She swallowed and tried to protest, to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. They did one dance and then she pulled herself free and muttered an excuse as to why she had to leave.

"What a shame," he whispered. "But I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"Yeah," Katherine chuckled. "Sure we will." Then she ran back to the table and pulled Laura to her feet. "We have to get out of here," she said. " _Now."_

"Why?" A surprised Laura asked. "I thought you were having fun."

"I am," Katherine told her. "But I…I need to pee and you should come to the bathroom with me."

"Okay," Laura said, still not understanding what the hell was going on with her friend. "Whatever."

But when they reached the bathroom, they saw (of course) that there was a long line to get in.

"Oh, damn!" Katherine muttered. "Why?"

"Don't act so surprised," Laura told her. "Bathrooms at places like this always have long lines. Just think of something else and you should be fine."

"It's not about that!" Katherine shook her head. "Jeez!" She strode off and Laura rolled her eyes. She was probably going to pee on the side of the building or something in protest. Best stay away from that.

Katherine made her way toward the door of the club. She would get out and wait in the car for Laura and then they could go home. But just as she reached the door, a figure blocked her way, the same man who had been dancing with her.

"Why are you running away?" He asked, giving her another one of his intense stares that made her very uneasy.

"I, um…uh…" she stepped back and fell to the ground as a heel broke on her shoe. "Shit!" She whispered and resorted to crawling to get away.

But he grabbed her and picked her up, holding her close. "Why are you running from me?" He whispered. "Do I frighten you?"

"I-I don't know what you mean," Katherine stammered. "I-I'm not afraid of anything. Now…now let me go, please."

"Why would I let you go when you're what I want so much?" He said in her ear and then nibbled on the lobe. That motion alone made her feel tingly, and the _last_ thing she wanted was to feel tingly around this man.

"If you don't let me go, I'll scream," she said and tried to kick him, but he managed to avoid her,

" _Of course_ you'll scream," he grinned as he ran his fingers through her hair. "When I have my way with women, they usually do. But it's very enjoyable, I promise." He then reached around to cup her bottom and she slapped him.

Then she gasped, and waited to see what he would do. She thought he would hurt her, but he grabbed her and kissed her instead. He was a good kisser, so she couldn't help but respond, even when every instinct she had told her not to.

"See?" He said with a triumphant grin on his face when they pulled apart. "I _knew_ you wanted me."

She scoffed and shook her head, but even with her dark lipstick smeared all over his mouth, he still looked very appealing. "I don't want you," she shook her head. "I don't even know who you are!" She was breathing heavily now, and so was he.

"You know that's a lie," he said, taking her hand and kissing her palm as he kept his dark eyes on hers without blinking. "The second we set eyes on each other, you recognized me and I recognized you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Katherine shook her head. "Your face is a complete mystery to me. And you look _ridiculous_ covered in lipstick, by the way."

He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped off his face. Then he gave her a smile and pulled something else out of his pocket: a necklace with a single diamond on the chain, which he fastened around her neck and she gasped. It was nice for sure, but she wouldn't be bribed into liking him. What did he think he was doing?

But before she could ask, he grabbed her and kissed her again, without pause, until Laura interrupted them with a gasp.

"Sorry," she apologized, blushing a deep red. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, no, it's fine," Katherine told her and grabbed her hand as the man looked perturbed for a moment before his face relaxed. "Now that you're done in the bathroom, we should probably go anyway. I've had enough fun for one night."

"Yeah," Laura nodded. "Me too."

"Goodbye!" The man called after her as they ran out the door. "Goodbye!"

"Who was your friend?" Laura asked when they were safely locked in their car.

"I—I don't want to talk about it," Katherine told her. "Let's just go home, please. All right?"

"All right," Laura nodded and started the car. She was ready to go herself, so if Katherine wanted to go too, they would go and that was that. And hopefully, they would _never_ come back.


	17. The Loyal Opposition

After going to the club, Katherine's interest in demons was piqued. She wanted to be around them. Not that creepy weird guy (even though he _did_ have great taste in jewelry), but others. Surely they weren't all weird like him.

"I need you to talk to your mom for me," she told Laura. "Ask her where all the demons hang out."

"Why?" Laura asked, making a face. "Why do you want to spend more time around them than you have to? I thought they freaked you out."

Katherine shrugged. "Just because one made me a little uneasy one time doesn't mean every one of them will. I want to give this a shot."

"All right," Laura sighed. "I'll talk to Mom and see what I can do. Actually, I don't need to ask her. They have a gym. Roxie's daughter goes there. I just need to get the address from her."

"Thanks," Katherine told her.

"You're welcome," Laura said and touched her shoulder. "I think you're insane, but you're welcome."

* * *

"Laura, oh my god!" Selina cried when she opened the door to her daughter's knock. "After what happened before, I thought I would never see you again!"

"Yes, well," Laura sighed as she came in and Selina shut the door behind her. "I'm sorry about that. Really. I'm glad you're happy. And I've been trying to adjust to the whole demon thing, even though it's been hard."

"Yeah, I know," Selina nodded. "You and Katherine were at the club the other night. One of the bouncers told me. Thought it was me at first, and that I was donning a really interesting disguise."

Laura chuckled. "I can imagine that. I had thought about dying my hair again, but decided against it and just kept it the color it was. They would have been even more confused if I had my natural hair color, don't you think?"

"I do," Selina agreed. She then led her daughter to the living room and asked, "What brings you here?"

"Something that you might be mad at me for," Laura replied. "But I promised Katherine I would ask anyway."

"Katherine?" Selina bounded to her feet and raised an eyebrow. "What does Katherine want from me? Given our history, I'm almost afraid to ask."

"She liked what she saw at the club," Laura told her. "She liked interacting with the demons. It really made her feel like she belonged. So…can I have the address for the gym? I know you probably hate the idea of Katherine getting into the demon world, but…I kind of promised and now that she and Gregory have gone their separate ways, she needs a good way to occupy her time."

"Yeah, your brother called me from Europe and told me about that," Selina nodded. "He said the split was amicable, so I'll choose to believe that. If he's happy, then I'm happy for him." She went and got a piece of paper and wrote out the address of the demon club to give to Laura. "You can let Katherine have this," she said. "I mean, it would be ideal for her to not be part of the demon world, but I think it's been long enough since we've truly had a problem that I can let her in my space." She grinned. "Besides, I'm more powerful than her there anyway. It's something that I can lord over her. Tell her she's free to come whenever she wants. I hope she enjoys herself."

"All right," Laura smiled. "I will." She paused. "Do you still bake? You wouldn't happen to have any cookies around, would you? I'm hungry."

"Of course," Selina said with a smile. "Come to the kitchen and look."

* * *

"Shit!" Katherine screamed as she dropped a ten pound weight on her foot. She was doing weight training and as she did one curl after the other, her mystery man strode into the gym. The sight of him surprised her so much that she'd loosened her grip on the weights and they fell. "Shit!" She began hobbling away from the weight area, trying her best to avoid the man, but alas, no luck.

"Hello," he said, a smirk on his lips. "Are you all right? Why are you walking like that? You're not wearing shoes, so you didn't break another heel."

"No," Katherine sucked in a breath. "I dropped a weight on my foot."

"You really should be more careful with those," he told her, reaching out to touch her hair.

"Gee, you think?" She spat, moving her head out of his reach. She then hobbled toward the snack bar and banged on it to get Sarah's attention.

"Yes?" Sarah asked. "What can I get you?"

"I just need some ice," Katherine told her. "I dropped a weight on my foot."

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "Just a minute."

It was while she was getting that that Katherine collapsed in a chair and the man came to sit beside her. "I'll wait with you," he said. "If no one is watching you, you could hurt yourself more. Is it normal for you to be so clumsy? Did you drop the weight because you saw me come in?"

"Why would I drop the weight when you came in?" Katherine questioned.

"Well, I know you're not a demon," he said. "And this is a demon establishment. So why would you come if not to see me?"

"I came to work out," Katherine replied. "People work out at gyms, don't they?"

"Yes, but again," the man replied. "Why do you go to a demon gym when you're not one?"

"Are you saying I'm not welcome?" Katherine asked. "Is that what you're saying? Cause you're wrong. I was given the address to this place by the woman who's the boss of you."

"Well, I don't know who that would be," he replied. "Cause no one is the boss of me." He took her face in his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "And you seem like the sort of person who doesn't take nonsense from anyone. I like that in a woman. I think we'd make quite the pair, you and I." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. She was shocked and tried to pull back but he held on to her and soon she was responding as warmth flowed through her body, all the way down to her injured toes.

This went on until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and pulled apart.

"Here's your ice," Sarah said, a flush coloring her cheeks as she held it out and Katherine took it. "Sorry for interrupting you. I'm gonna go now." She then sped back to the snack bar and kept her eyes averted from the pair, hating that it was the slow part of the day, thus no one would immediately be coming to order something and distract her from her embarrassment.

"You need some help with that?" The man asked Katherine.

"No, thank you," Katherine replied. "I can handle it myself. If you came to work out, you should probably do that. It would be a better use of your time than sitting here and pestering me."

He then got to his feet. "I understand," he told her. "I'll just leave you here with your ice and your injured foot." He paused. "Before I go though, I want to say one more thing."

"What?" Katherine snapped.

"My necklace looks lovely on you," he grinned. "If you're nice to me, I might just give you earrings to go with it."

"Oh, drop dead!" Katherine called as he strode away in the direction of the dressing rooms. She kept her eyes on the direction that he'd gone and when he came out in a tight workout shirt and black shorts. He picked a weight training machine in Katherine's line of vision, but even before he sat down, Katherine wondered why he was doing that. He didn't need to. He was already very muscular. She kept watching as he put some big weights on the machine and sat down, bearing them with ease, his muscles barely straining.

It probably wouldn't be a challenge for him to pick me up, thought to herself, her jaw dropping. Gregory had never been muscular like that. He had been lithe. Now she wanted a man with _muscles_. She stared a little while longer and then gave herself a sharp slap. What was she thinking? Not that guy! She didn't even know his name. And going for a guy just because he gives you jewelry is a terrible policy. Yep. She shook her head and paid attention to her bag of ice until it melted, then stood up and tried to walk. "This is better," she told herself. She still hobbled a little, but she could move and that was good enough. She walked past the man, who was still on the machine, and made her way to the sauna, shutting the door, reveling in the warmth, and hoping very fervently that the man at the weight machine would be gone by the time she got out.

* * *

"Okay, here's a drink for you," Sarah told Josh, who stood in a cage with his hands wrapped around the bars. He looked very sad.

"Why do I just get water?" He groaned. "Couldn't you have brought me a scone or a cookie or something too?"

"No, I have orders just to bring you water," Sarah replied, looking him right in the eye. He was a dangerous criminal, but she wasn't afraid. "Apparently, you're not good enough to deserve a cookie."

"And you believe that?" Josh scoffed. "The only thing I'm guilty of is hiring incompetent help. That girl wasn't even in danger. In fact, I think she was enjoying herself at the end."

"Doesn't matter," Sarah told him, shaking her head, her lips pursed as she took a few steps closer to the cage and grabbed one of the bars. "Now, are you going to take the water, or not?"

"Yes, I'll take the water," Josh replied, taking the cup, and then, as she was about to walk away, reaching out and grabbing her hand, keeping her where she was.

"Let me go!" Sarah cried, even though his hand was warm and soft. "I can't dawdle. I have work to do."

"Oh, all right," Josh sighed. "I hoped we could stay and talk, but apparently, it's not to be."

"No, it's not," Sarah shook her head.

He let her go and took the water, slurping it loudly before handing her the empty cup. "Give me more," he demanded.

"I don't know if I can," Sarah told him. "I'll have to go ask your keepers."

"What's the problem with giving a thirsty man water?" Josh called after her. "This is inhumane, I tell you!" He was left alone in the room for several minutes and then he heard footsteps again.

"It's about time," he called as they got closer and closer. But then he saw the person who entered the room wasn't Sarah. It was someone who made his blood run cold. It was his father. "H-hi, Dad," he said as Katherine's admirer approached the cage. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I know you're surprised," his father agreed. "Would you care to explain to me what foolish thing you did to get caged up like this? I thought you told me that you were going to take down Arthur."

"And I tried!" Josh said. "But it didn't go as well as I thought."

His father gave him a slap. "Obviously not. I told you not to hire those people. I said they were morons, didn't I? But you didn't listen to me and now you're in trouble! And before you ask me, I'm not letting you out of here. It will be a good lesson for you to suffer so that if they let you out, you don't make the same mistakes." He scoffed. "At the rate you're going, you're lucky I stepped in to help you out."

"You mean you've found a woman who you think will help you throw Dorian and his people into chaos?" Josh asked.

"I have," his father nodded. "Not that I've gotten her undivided attention yet, but I will. You know when I want something, I don't give up until I have it. And I don't act like an idiot, either. Have a good time in that cage, son." His father then turned on his heel and walked away, leaving a very irritated Josh alone again and still in need of water.


	18. Not So Safe Anymore

"I hope you're not too upset about me and your father," Katherine told her and Gregory's daughter Elizabeth. "If you have any questions, go ahead and ask me."

"I don't have any questions about you and Dad," Elizabeth said, moving some hair out of her eyes that had slipped out of her hairdo. "I've been around you and dad long enough to know that you separating sometime could be a possibility." She paused and came to look closer at her. "What I do have a question about is this necklace. Did Dad give it to you as a parting gift?"

"No," Katherine stepped back a little. "I didn't get it from your dad. I got it…from a friend. Just a friend, no one special."

"All right," Elizabeth replied, her eyes wide as she backed away from her mother. "I just…I'm glad you're happy."

"Happy is not exactly what I am," Katherine admitted. "I don't know what I am now. I have a lot to figure out."

Elizabeth nodded and took her mother's hand. "I know you like to handle things like this by yourself, but if you need me for anything, I'm here for you, you know that, right? Me, Charlie, and Christopher."

"Thanks," Katherine gave her a smile. "I think I'll be all right, but I'll remember that."

* * *

"Elizabeth was visiting yesterday and she asked me about my necklace," Katherine told Laura at work the next day.

"Did she?" Laura replied. "What did you tell her? The truth? That you have a new boyfriend even though you and my brother just separated?"

"He's _not_ my boyfriend!" Katherine shook her head vigorously, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. "I don't even like him. I've been doing everything I can to avoid him, actually."

"You and I both know that's a big fat lie. If you truly hated him, you would have gotten rid of the necklace," Laura pointed out. "But you kept it."

"Well, that's because you can't throw diamonds away!" Katherine pointed out, putting a hand to her chest. "What _should_ I have done with them?"

"Anything but keep them!" Laura told her. "He might think you're leading him on."

"Oh, he doesn't," Katherine assured her. "He hates me as much as I hate him, I promise. And if he doesn't, I have ways of making my point."

"And just what are those?" Laura asked, arms crossed. "Tell me so I know you're not doing something dumb."

"It's so nice to know you care," Katherine told her. "I had no idea."

"Yeah, well, if you die, I have to run this place all by myself and that's hard work, so I have some vested interest in you staying alive," Laura responded. "So…how are you gonna keep him away? I assume that telling him the truth is too simple and you want something more complicated?"

"Well, of course it's going to be complicated!" Katherine nodded. "Laura, he's a very powerful demon! It'll take more than a simple 'No thank you' to get my point across."

"Yes, especially since your stance is 'I don't want to be with you, but I don't mind if you keep giving me pretty jewelry,' Laura pointed out.

"Oh, stop judging me," Katherine scoffed. "If you were in my place, you would feel the exact same way."

Laura opened her mouth to protest this and Katherine stopped her from speaking. "Never mind, I know I'm wrong. You fell in love with _an accountant_ for crying out loud!"

"Well, maybe I like Edward for more than just what's in his bank account," Laura said. "Maybe you should think about that when you start your next relationship."

"It's not wrong to want someone who has money," Katherine told her. "And if you'd grown up poor, you'd understand that."

"I'm not _saying_ that it's wrong to want someone who has money," Laura replied. "I mean, look at all my mother's relationships. I don't think she's ever dated a poor guy in her life. I'm just saying that your relationships might be more satisfying if you thought about more than just a man's pocket book when picking who to date, that's all. Keep that in mind. It could be good for you."

"Oh, all right," Katherine said, even though she for sure wasn't going to. "I will."

"No, you won't," Laura told her. "You never listen to anything I say."

"Well, then, why do you keep giving me advice if you know I'll never listen to it?" Katherine questioned and then went to answer a phone call.

* * *

He hadn't planned to use her as he'd told Josh. That had been a way to get into his son's head. Make him feel even worse about his failure and imprisonment. He'd originally just wanted to have his way with her. But now…now he thought that maybe using her would be good. She'd told him that she was friends with Dorian's wife. That could be useful to him and something he could use to his advantage. He could have his cake and eat it too. Nothing could be bad about this situation.

He called two of his henchmen as well as his driver and ordered them to go with him to the gym. "We're going to have a guest soon," he told them. "I need you to help me get her."

"Should we have someone make up a room for her?" His driver asked.

"No need," he smiled at the man, showing his white teeth. "She'll be sleeping with me."

The other men chuckled and they got in the car. As they drove, he was asked, "So, are we going to the gym? That's where you and she usually see each other, right?"

"Well, yes," he nodded. "But there she can leave. Since I want her to stay with me permanently this time, I want to pick her up at a place where it won't be so easy for her to escape."

"And just where would that be?" Asked his driver.

"Her house," he said and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, a smile on his lips. "I got the address. Let's go. It'll be a pleasant surprise for her, don't you think?"

* * *

"Oh, god," Katherine said as she came home and found _him_ in the kitchen having coffee with Elizabeth. "What's he doing here? Elizabeth, why did you let him in?"

"That's not the way to greet a guest, is it?" He asked, kissing her hand. "Your daughter and I were just having the most wonderful discussion. Everything she said flatters you." His eyes swept her body. "As do those workout clothes. Do you wear them frequently?"

"No," Katherine pushed him away. "Only when I work out. How the hell did you find out where I lived?"

"Just some simple detective work," he told her with a grin. "I would have met you at the gym, but that…that would be too predictable. Don't you think?"

She just growled at him and he chuckled and offered her the coffee pot. "Coffee?" He asked.

"No, I don't want coffee!" Katherine snapped. "I want you to get the hell out of my house!"

"That's a nice way to talk to someone who just came to visit and is willing to admit that they're your friend," Elizabeth said. "Now, come sit down and tell me how you two met. Was it at the gym?"

"No, it was at that demon night club," Katherine told her. "He danced with me."

"Yes," he agreed and smiled at Elizabeth. "Your mother was just so…novel and beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off her. And that necklace she's wearing? I gave it to her."

"You must've done it right after you two met," Elizabeth said. "She didn't _make_ you do it, did she? She has a tendency to use men if she thinks they can do something for her."

"Hey!" Katherine huffed. "Whose side of this are you on, anyway? It should be mine!"

"Oh, don't you worry," he assured Elizabeth. "Giving her the necklace was my idea." Then he gave Katherine a smile. "And by the way, how's your foot? Is it still sore from when you dropped the weight on it?"

"No, it's fine, thank you," Katherine replied, her voice stiff. "You're so nice to ask."

He paused. "Would you…would you like to go on a drive with me?"

"No, why would I do that?" Katherine asked.

"She'd love to!" Elizabeth answered for her mother.

"What?" Katherine cried. "Young lady, when did you decide it would be okay to get so involved in my personal life?"

"Since you and Dad split up!" Elizabeth explained. "I know you. I remember what you told me. When you're alone, you like to hole yourself up and just…be alone. But that doesn't do you any good! Go with him. It'll at least make it so you're meeting people." She pulled her mother to her feet and began pushing a very resistant Katherine toward the front door as her grinning adversary followed them.

"Oh, stop, Elizabeth!" She cried. "Your dad and I just parted ways. I don't see what the rush is to throw me into a new relationship."

"Cause if I help you do it now, it won't happen," Elizabeth explained and then put Katherine's hand in the man's. "Be good to her, Rodan."

"All right, Elizabeth," Rodan smiled. "I promise I will. Oh, and do you mind if I borrow your mother for more than just a couple of hours? If we have fun, it might take longer than that for me to bring her back."

"Well, of course," Elizabeth nodded. "I'm not her minder. She's an adult. You two go have fun." She waved goodbye, and ignored her mother's angry face that usually put fear in the hearts of men.

Once Elizabeth was no longer looking out the window, Rodan picked Katherine up, put her over his shoulder, and carried her the rest of the way to the car as she screamed and pounded him soundly on the back.

"Put me down!" She cried. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but this is not going to go undealt with! I _will_ retaliate, do you hear me?"

"Oh, I do," Rodan nodded, his dark eyes bright as he tossed her into the back. "And I can't wait to see what you do."

"Yeah, I just bet you can't," Katherine hissed. She spent the rest of the ride spread out on one of the seats with her head in Rodan's lap as he smirked down at her and ran his fingers through her hair. And when he changed course and tried to run his hand down her bare thigh, she slapped him. "Hands off!" She cried. "What are you, some sort of animal?"

"I've never particularly been known for restraining myself around a beautiful woman," he told her. "And you _are_ a beautiful woman."

"Thanks for the compliment, sparky, but if you don't keep your paws off of me, you're gonna lose them," Katherine assured him.

"Well, fine," he sighed. "I suppose I can wait. It'll be well-worth it, anyway."

"Yeah," Katherine scoffed. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Yes," Rodan nodded and bent his head down to kiss her. "You certainly will."


	19. Not Without A Fight

"Okay," Katherine said as the car was parked in front of Rodan's mansion. "I am getting out of the car and walking into your house by myself. If you're going to trap me this way, I want to go into it with my dignity intact."

"This isn't just a ploy to make it easier for you to run away, is it?" Rodan asked, his dark eyes narrowed. "Because if you run, I will not hesitate to catch you and give you a spanking."

"Well, I don't want that," Katherine replied and opened the door. "So I promise you I won't run." She stepped out of the car and shook her head when he made a gallant gesture for her to go ahead of him into the house.

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "I know why you want to do that, and I am telling you right now that I would rather _you_ go into the house first. You don't have to do any of that gentlemanly crap with me."

"Well, all right," Rodan replied, one side of his mouth up. "As you wish."

She followed behind him, seeing what was making this ridiculous situation worthwhile. And she was glad he couldn't see the look on her face.

They reached the door and this time, when he opened it and gestured for her to go ahead of him, she gave him a slight nod and did it.

"I know this is a stupid question to ask, because I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but…now that I'm here, what happens next?"

"Well," Rodan smiled and swept her up off her feet. "Just wait a few minutes and see, won't you?"

"Oh, all right," Katherine let herself hang limp in his arms, looking at everything they passed upside down and hoped he wouldn't let her head hit the wall. "Like I said, I know where we're going, so it's not like it will be a surprise."

"I don't know," he grinned as they made their way through the house. "You might be surprised."

* * *

"The bedroom, how original," Katherine sighed as he carried her through the door of the master bedroom and put her on her feet. "I wonder why you want me in here? It's good to know you're not wasting any time."

"I know, right?" He remarked and began removing his clothes. "I thought you would agree with me. It's nice to know that we're on the same page." He was down to his boxers before he realized that she was still standing in front of him, fully clothed, with her arms crossed.

"Would you rather I undressed you instead?" He asked and came toward her and removed the silky purple scarf around her neck and inhaling the scent of her hair. "I'm all right with that."

But when he pulled at her shirt, she slapped his hand away. "No," she said firmly and stepped away.

"Did you want me to start at the bottom?" He asked. "You know, panties and skirt come off first?" He sped to her, held her against the wall, and kissed her, panting heavily already. "Cause that works for me too."

"No, I don't want to start anywhere," she said stepped away.

"Oh, come on," he said. "Why not?" He took off his shirt. "I mean, _look at me_!"

She didn't want to. She tried to ignore him. But she couldn't. The bulging muscles in his arms and his well-sculpted core were hypnotic. There was no way she would win this on sheer willpower alone. Cause apparently, when it came to him, she _had_ no willpower. Or very little that she was doing all she could to keep a tight grip on. But if this went on for too much longer, it would all be gone.

Thankfully, just as she was about to lose her mind and give in, an idea popped into her head. A grin slowly curved her lips as she ran a well-manicured red nail down his bare chest. "I have an idea," she said. "Before we go to bed, why don't we take a shower? Are you okay with that?"

"Well, of course I am," Rodan nodded, "I was just about to suggest it myself." That made him chuckle. "Nice to know we're on the same wavelength already."

"Yeah," Katherine grinned. "Isn't that a fun coincidence?"

He turned the water on and they both undressed before stepping under the spray and letting the warm water soak their naked bodies.

They stood like this in silence for a few seconds before Rodan handed her a wash cloth and some soap. "Scrub my back," he demanded. "Actually, _all_ of me. Don't miss a spot."

"No," Katherine scoffed. "Why would I do that?"

"Scrub!" He demanded, grabbing her wrist and squeezing til she winced. "Now!"

"Oh, all right," Katherine conceded. "But I better get my turn after this. Not everything in our relationship is gonna be about you." She scrubbed the back of him, and then he turned around so she could do the front, and as she did it, an idea came to her. Doing what he asked had lulled him into a false sense of security. He thought she'd become obedient. So when she grabbed his throat and choked him with one hand and then grabbed the sprayer and sprayed him in the face with water for quite some time, he wasn't exactly in a state to fight back right away.

Finally, he stepped wrong trying to get free and fell on his bottom hard on the shower floor, glaring up at her as Katherine held the still running shower head at her side. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked. "I know you want me, but now you're acting like a shrew!"

"Well, I thought I could drown you," Katherine replied. "I see now that that won't work."

"If you want to drown me, just spraying water in my face is a lousy way to do it," Rodan told her, his tone dismissive. "I would have thought you'd be more devious than that. You don't know a lot about demons, do you?"

"Obviously not," Katherine shrugged. "Why aren't you more offended that I just tried to murder you?"

"Well, it's hard to be mad when the attempt was so pathetic and had no chance whatsoever of succeeding," he told her. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Katherine blew a raspberry. "I guess."

"Why are you being so difficult?" He asked.

"Well, would you want a woman who just did whatever you asked?" She questioned. "I'm trying to give you a challenge! You'll thank me for it later."

"And you're the type that hides your feelings when you like a man," Rodan remarked as he began to wash her off. "That's apparent."

"It's also none of your business," Katherine told him as she tried to control her breathing as his long fingers ran over her body. "And besides, you're an old man. I don't like old men."

"You've been around a while yourself," Rodan pointed out. "I'm still older than you, but you're not young, no matter how much you might look it. Six hundred years old. Wow, you're a crone!"

As Katherine's jaw dropped, he took her face in his hands, looking at her with concern. "Oh, my goodness," he gasped.

"What?" Katherine wanted to know. "What's the matter?"

"I know it's not possible with vampires, or at least I thought it was, but…I think I see a wrinkle!" Rodan told her. "A big one that's taking up your entire forehead!"

"That's it!" Katherine cried, turning off the shower, stepping out onto the tile floor, and wrapping herself up in a towel before rushing to the mirror. "Where is it? Where is it?" She stared at herself and tried to see what he saw.

While she was distracted by looking for non-existent wrinkles, Rodan came up behind her, gently removed her towel, put his arms around her waist, and began kissing her neck. "Never mind," he said. "I think I was wrong. You don't have any wrinkles."

"You're damn right I don't," Katherine replied, liking the way his lips felt on her neck but not wanting to admit it. She let it go on for a while and then stepped away abruptly and put her towel back on. "Now," she said, "What do I do about clothes? Don't try and tell me that you kidnapped me and didn't think about getting me anything to wear."

"If I'm going to be quite honest, I prefer you naked, but…since I figured you would prefer to be dressed, at least for the time being, there are clothes in the closet in there. It shouldn't be too hard for you to find them."

"Thank you," Katherine told him. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome," he replied as he followed her out of the bathroom _without_ a towel, a smirk on his lips.

* * *

"Yeah, Daddy, Mom's doing fine," Elizabeth told her father during their first conversation since the separation. "And I am too. Don't worry about that."

"Good," Gregory Mikaelson told her, relief obvious in his voice. "This has nothing to do with you, you know. You _do_ know that, right?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. "I'm fine, Mom's fine. Go save the world. Mom's even on a date right now."

"Why am I not surprised?" Gregory asked, sounding bitter, even though he didn't mean to. "It didn't take long for her to move on, did it?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth replied. "She claims she doesn't even like the guy, but he seems nice, so I guess we'll see." She paused. "How's Europe?"

"Europe is nice," Gregory replied and Elizabeth could just see him pushing that perpetually hanging strand of brown hair out of his dark eyes. "I think I'm gonna be able to get a lot accomplished here. I'm in Paris at the moment."

"Good," Elizabeth remarked. "Don't work all the time. Find some nice girl and take her to dinner at the Eiffel Tower. And if you don't do it, if you overwork yourself, I'll tell Grandma, and you know she'll come down there and make sure you have fun."

"I won't overwork myself," He swore. "I'll have fun, I'll go on dates, and I'll send you presents, I promise."

"You don't have to send me presents," Elizabeth told him. "But if you want to, it's okay."

"I want to," Gregory replied. "Don't worry about that. Now tell me, what's going on in your life?"

"Nothing much," Elizabeth replied. "Looking after Mom is the biggest thing right now. And I'm working on negotiations to get some new supermodels to do the covers of my magazine. That can get challenging sometimes."

"But you can do it," Gregory encouraged.

"Of course I can," Elizabeth told him. "I always do. Charlie and his bunch are gearing up for greeting the holidays coming up. He ran some new card ideas by me last night and I just…I wonder if it was one of those cases where they just want to come up with new holidays to make money or whatever. It wasn't his best work, but of course I didn't say anything."

"Yes, sometimes that's best," Gregory agreed. "And what about Christopher?"

"He's doing well," Elizabeth replied. "Adjusting to the apartment he just moved into. Doesn't have a bad thing to say about it."

"Good!" Gregory said. "I wondered how well that place would suit him, so I'm glad it's working out."

They then lapsed into silence for a bit as they looked for more small talk before Elizabeth finally gave up. "You know, I think I've filled you in on everyone, so if you want to stop talking to me and enjoy Paris, go ahead. It wouldn't bother me."

"All right," Gregory replied. "It was wonderful to talk to you, sweetheart. And when you see your mother, tell her that I wish her well, all right?"

"I will," Elizabeth assured him. "Oh, and don't forget to call Grandma and tell her you're safe. You don't want her to worry."

"No," Gregory agreed. He knew that she would come looking for him to make sure he was all right with her own eyes if he didn't tell her first. "I'll call her. Thanks for reminding me."

"You're welcome," Elizabeth smiled. "No problem, Daddy."


	20. Jockeying For Position

"It's a real shame you were in such a bad mood today," Rodan told Katherine as they got ready for bed that night. "It wrecked all the fun we could have had."

"What I'm still struggling with is how you could kidnap me like this and still expect me to enjoy my time with you," Katherine told him as she watched him undress, sucking in her breath as she got another look at his muscular body. "I mean, you got a nice body and all, but…it doesn't make up for everything."

"Oh, are you sure?" He asked, turning around. "In my experience, it makes up for _a lot_ of things."

"Well," Katherine smiled. "That just shows you haven't had much experience with _me_. Now…I'm gonna go put on pajamas and get a pillow and blanket from the living room.

"Why would you need any of those things?" He asked. "My bed has pillows and the blankets are very soft and warm, I assure you."

"What makes you think I would sleep in your bed?" Katherine asked.

"Well, why do you think I brought you here?" Rodan questioned through his teeth after a growl escaped his throat. "It wasn't just so we could be friends. I want much more than just another body in the house."

"That much is obvious," Katherine scoffed. "But what you will learn about me is that I don't just give things away for free. By the time I let you near me, you'll really and truly appreciate that I gave you the honor."

Rodan burst out laughing and was standing in front of her in two long strides. "You know," he told her, "I don't believe I've had a woman ever talk to me that way before."

"Is that so?" Katherine asked. "Well, you better get used to it, cause that's how I'm gonna talk to you until you can be polite to me. Don't you think I deserve that?" She paused. "Wait a minute. Why am I asking? Of course you don't, or you would have been treating me right from the start of all this."

"I fail to see how I'm treating you badly," Rodan shrugged. "Would you care to share your complaints with me?"

"Oh, why bother?" Katherine spat. "It's not going to change anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired. I'm going to get my things and go to bed. Or to sleep. I won't be sleeping in a bed if my only option is yours."

"You struck me as stubborn the first moment I met you," he commented. "But I'm prepared to deal with it. For you, I'm prepared to be patient."

"Are you?" Katherine grinned. "Well, good. I'm gonna enjoy seeing how long that will last. I think I'll be able to hold out longer than _you_ will." She then turned on her heel and went to get blankets and a pillow, which she set out on the floor of the large room, some distance away from Rodan's bed. She straightened everything out and then left the room and came back after a time with a bundle of clothes, which she took to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and locking it so she could have her privacy.

Despite that, Rodan was picturing what she was putting on. He knew what sort of things he had for her to wear and each negligee was more alluring than the last, not to mention very easy to remove.

But when she emerged from the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants, a loud groan escaped his throat. "What are you wearing that for? Where in the world did you find it?"

"I don't know exactly," Katherine replied. "But I had to look hard. And I'm not sorry to disappoint you by not wearing the sort of thing you wanted me to wear."

"I know you aren't sorry," he told her. "I just know it."

"You're right," she said with a grin. "I'm not." She fluffed her pillow and then said, "Would you turn off the light after I tuck myself in?"

"Why I should I do it?" Rodan asked. "You're closer."

"True, but I don't feel like it," Katherine replied, lying down and pulling the blankets over her head and closing her eyes. "If you want them off, you'll have to do it yourself."

Rodan groaned and pulled the covers over his head just like she did and tried to sleep, but unlike her, he didn't sleep easily, tossing and turning and finally, he got up to go to the bathroom, and after that, while he was up, he finally turned off the damn light, not looking at Katherine's face cause he knew she was smirking. He thought he heard her chuckle as he approached the bed, but he didn't let it get to him. He reached the bed and pulled the covers aside and climbed in, hearing a grunt, and a whisper of protest.

"Move it," Katherine whispered angrily. "You're on my leg!"

"What in the hell?" Rodan grumbled, turning the light on and seeing that Katherine had laid herself across the bed, allowing no comfortable space for him. "What are you doing?"

"I decided to take the bed while you were in the bathroom," Katherine told him. "I would be stupid not to. It's mine now, so get out and sleep somewhere else."

"You do realize I could just lift you up and throw you on the floor, right?" Rodan questioned. "You lying across the bed doesn't stop anything."

This made Katherine sit up. "All right," she conceded. "Maybe. But here's a deal: you let me stay in this bed by myself and I'll give you a good night kiss, all right?"

"All right," Rodan's eyes lit up, thinking that he was finally making headway with her and that in a matter of minutes, he would have her out of those ridiculously unflattering clothes she was calling pajamas.

She grinned and motioned for him to lean in closer, which he did. They kissed, her fingers running through his thick dark hair as he pulled her as close as he could. But long before he was ready to let her go, she broke the kiss and gave him a push out of bed.

"There," she said. "Good night, Rodan."

"Good night," he got out from the floor beside the bed as he waited to get his breath back. "I don't like you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Katherine replied and then turned away from him. "I know that. And it doesn't bother me."

* * *

"It must be some date you're on," Elizabeth told her mother the next morning. "I haven't heard from you since you left! Not that that's entirely unheard of from you. Oh, and Dad called me from Europe. Wanted me to wish you well for him and all that."

"Well, that's friendly," Katherine told her. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to use a phone or contact the outside world in any other way, so she knew she'd have to rush this. "I have to go. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I was and that I was fine and stuff like that."

"Thank you," Elizabeth told her as she heard Rodan come into the room. "Goodbye, Mom."

"Goodbye," Katherine said. "Hopefully not for the last time."

She threw the phone down and Rodan smiled at her. "Who were you talking to? Was it your charming daughter? You look lovely this morning, if I may say."

"Well, thank you," Katherine told him. "But I don't see what's so attractive about a pair of old gray sweatpants."

"I'll tell you," he told her, coming to pull her close to himself as he cupped her bottom. "The way they fit your ass, for one thing. Actually, that should be reason enough, right?"

"I suppose," Katherine squirmed. "It's nice that you seem to have a better attitude about my clothes than you did last night. Although frankly, I wish you would fuss about it a little longer."

"Why?" Rodan grinned and wrapped one of her curls around his finger, giving it a pull. "Because that's victory for you? Knowing that you did something that irritated me? I know that. That's why I'm not letting it get to me."

"Not even a little bit?" Katherine pouted and stomped on his foot. "Well, that is just not fair."

"No one ever said the world is," Rodan told her. "But you know that, don't you?"He let her go and let her step forward a few steps before he grabbed her again and kissed her. But this didn't last long before he got a glass of water in his face.

"It's too early," she said as he sputtered. "I want to eat. And I don't like to be bothered while I'm eating."

Rodan coughed and wiped his face off. "Fine," he told her. "I can wait until after you've finished eating," he told her as she made toast. "It's not a problem for me. And just so you know, for the future, if you want to call someone, you have to tell me first."

"Oh, fuck off," Katherine told him, and then rooted around in the cupboard for the jelly.

* * *

"So Gregory and Katerina have gone their separate ways?" Elijah looked at Laura as she sat at his and Amy's table with a soda. "You know, I have to say that I saw that coming." He paused. "I know it's too much to ask you to be nice to Katherine still while she works her way through the break-up, but-"

"Oh, don't worry," Laura assured him. "I'm not gonna fire her from the salon. She's…she's actually become really useful to have around."

"Good," Elijah smiled. "And I…I'm really glad you came to visit. I thought because of Lily, you might not come back."

"I'm…working on getting used to the whole demon thing," Laura told her father. "Katherine and I went to the club. It was very…well, there was a lot of public displays of affection, that's for sure." She shuddered. "Some things I saw I wish I could unsee."

Elijah nodded. "Thank goodness Lily has more self-control than your average demon, or I would be saying the same thing."

He got up to get more snacks and Amy took the time to whisper, "It's not something your father likes to think about, but I really believe Lily's self-control is about the same as other demons'. She just does a better job of hiding it from him."

"Yeah," Laura smiled. "That's exactly what I suspected too. I won't say a word, I promise."

"Oh, I know you won't," Amy smiled back and squeezed her hand. "I wasn't worried about that, believe me."

They sat in silence for a moment and then Laura asked, "Is Lily here? Can I meet her?"

"She's out at the moment, but she left a while ago, so I'm sure she'll be back any minute," Amy told her. "I'm sure she'd love to meet you." She was proven right about twenty minutes later when a flushed and exhilarated Lily arrived home.

"Did you have a good time with your girlfriends?" Amy asked her.

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "It was great!" Then she saw Laura. "Hi," she said. "Who are you?"

"Lily, this is Laura," Elijah introduced her. "She's my daughter with the woman I was married to before I was in a relationship with your mother."

"Oh!" Lily smiled. "Hello!" She then turned to face Elijah. "Does she know…does she know what I am?"

"Of course she knows you're a demon," Elijah assured her. "She's even been to the club."

"Good!" Lily smiled and actually gave Laura a hug. "It's so nice to know you don't hate demons!"

"I'm working on being more comfortable with them." Laura told her. "My mom is married to a demon bigwig. Or engaged to him at least. I don't know if they're married. But I didn't take it well at first. I wanted to kill him."

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't succeed," Laura assured her. "Don't worry."

"You probably don't remember, but Laura's mother was the lady with the big blue eyes who was at Dorian's house the day your mother and I officially adopted you," Elijah said to Lily.

"I remember her!" Lily smiled. "She was the one who convinced Dorian to let you have me with all the extra red tape. She told him you were trustworthy."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I was really surprised about that, honestly. But grateful too."

Lily turned her gaze to Laura. "I really like what you did with your hair," she remarked. "Would you do that to mine too sometime?"

"Of course!" Laura nodded and looked over Lily's red locks. "You have really nice hair. I don't see many people with the nice red color that you have at my salon."

"So are you saying that I shouldn't color it?" Lily asked.

"Well, you can do whatever you want," Laura told her. "I'm not gonna stop you. But if you put it all in my hands, I would be more likely to do highlights with you unless it was Halloween or something. Then we could do something really funky and fun."

Lily made a face. "Are you just saying this cause Daddy told you to?"

"Oh, no," Laura shook her head earnestly. "I never do what Dad says when it comes to my hair and I wouldn't put you through the same thing. I'm just…I'm just so enamored by your color that I wouldn't change it if it were mine."

"Ah," Lily smiled. "Okay. If I wanted to do something new with it, what would you suggest?"

"Well, why don't you come to my salon with me and we'll figure something out," Laura told her. "Unless you want to rest a bit since you just went out."

"No, I've had my breather," Lily told her and stood up. "Let's go right now!" She gave each of her parents a kiss before following Laura to the door and leaving the house with her to go to the salon.

"They bonded quickly," Amy remarked. "That's good."

"Yeah," Elijah grinned. "It is. I'm glad."


	21. The Puppetmaster

"Oh, my god!" Katherine let out a shriek when she opened her eyes in the morning and found Rodan lying next to her so that they were practically nose to nose and he was looking right at her, his eyes being all she could see. "What are you _doing_?"

"I just wanted to rest in my bed after my rather fitful night and tell you good morning," Rodan replied with a grin. "And see the shocked look on your face. I knew you would be scared."

"Scared is not what I was," Katherine refuted. "Shocked and surprised, but not scared. You are the last person I would be scared of."

"Well, I don't want you to be scared of me," Rodan told her. Katherine thought she saw some shock and hurt in his eyes at the thought of her fearing him, but it was just for a moment and she was sure she had just been hallucinating. "So that's good. You want breakfast?"

"Sure, but I'll be eating alone," Katherine told him.

"Why?" Rodan asked. "Why is it so important to you to be alone?"

"Cause I know why you brought me here," Katherine told him. "And there's no way you're getting that. Not now, anyway."

"I _am_ capable of giving my libido a rest and just having a conversation," he told her.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Katherine said.

Despite his continued insistence that he would behave himself, Katherine kept him at a distance. She refused any physical contact and any time he tried to talk to her, she would yell at him. She continued to wear the sweatpants and t-shirt of shame as well, and wouldn't sleep in his bed as long as she knew he would be in it with her.

He really didn't want to, but finally, after a few more days, he had to concede defeat, at least for the time being.

* * *

"I want you to go," he told her one day at breakfast. "I clearly misjudged you. You're not the sort of woman I need."

"What?" Katherine asked in genuine surprise. "Are you actually admitting out loud that you want someone more pliable and easily done in by your shallow charms than me?"

"Yes," Rodan nodded. "I bet that makes you happy."

"Well, it'll make my daughter happy at any rate," Katherine nodded. "I've been gone for days with very little contact. I bet she's worried about me."

"Not if she knows you well, she's not," Rodan replied. "I bet she knows you can take care of yourself." He went to the door and opened it. "I know I didn't give you time to grab any belongings before you left, so you can go at any time. I won't stop you."

This was something Katherine had been waiting to hear since he'd first brought her through the door. But now that it was actually happening, she felt let down. "I can't believe you're actually kicking me out!" She cried. "How dare you! How can I not be good enough for you?"

"I never said you weren't good enough for me," Rodan told her. "But you're clearly not in any sort of mood to do what I want you to, so why bother? And I thought you would be happy that I was letting you go. Do you want to stay after all?"

"Well, no," Katherine admitted. "But I was hoping to leave after, you know, defeating you in a battle of wills and leaving you sobbing and broken on the floor. That would have been a victory for me, you know?"

"Ah, your need to control things again, that's it," Rodan smiled. "If I let you go, I'm still controlling your fate and you don't like that."

"Well, _obviously_ ," Katherine spat and pouted as she stayed seated in her chair, her arms crossed while she ignored the open door.

"So you're just going to stay here?" Rodan asked. "When you clearly don't want to? What are you going to do?"

"I'm not just gonna _stay_ here!" Katherine cried. "I'm gonna leave. But first…" She punched him three times in the face in rapid succession, then when he was down on the floor (cause he knew that falling down would be the only way she would go) and had a hand on his eye, _that_ was when she ran out the door, thinking to herself, "I'm free. This is good!" Then, once she was away from the house, she called Elizabeth on her cell phone and had her daughter come and pick her up to take her home.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Elizabeth said to her mother when they were in the safety of their own living room. "He actually planned to keep you at his house forever as some sort of…mistress or something?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "Apparently, that was the plan, which is why I'm glad as hell to be out of there and have control of my own life again."

"I don't blame you," Elizabeth told her. "I'm glad you're back too. And I'm…I'm sorry that I pushed you to go out with him. If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have been stuck where you were."

"Oh, don't beat yourself up," Katherine insisted. "You didn't know what his plan for me was. If you had, I know you would have insisted that I stay here."

"Right," Elizabeth nodded. "Exactly. Oh, and Dad called while you were gone to tell me how things were going for him in Europe. He also wanted me to tell you that he wishes you well on whatever you choose to do with your life from now on."

"Well, that's nice," Katherine smiled. "And so like your father."

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. "Isn't it just though?"

* * *

Since she was so relieved to be home, Katherine thought it would be easy to get back into the rhythm of being in her own bed every night and making her own choices unchallenged by anyone, but she soon found out that it wouldn't be as easy as all that, especially at night. Even though she'd booted Rodan out of his own bed most of the time and had taken it for herself, he'd evidently been there long enough that being alone made sleep very difficult. The worst part was grasping only at sheets when at Rodan's house, she'd had his muscular body to hold onto as she slept.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Elizabeth questioned after noticing that her mother looked listless and exhausted as she sat down at the breakfast table. "You've looked the same way every morning since you came back from Rodan's. Have you not been sleeping well?"

"I've tried to sleep well," Katherine grumbled. "But every time I close my eyes, I see him and his muscular body and it makes sleeping very difficult."

"I'm sorry about that," Elizabeth told her because she didn't know what else to say. "If I told you I wanted to go see Charlie for a bit today, would you be all right here by yourself?"

"Sure I would," Katherine nodded. "Go and see your husband. You don't need to look after me every second. I managed well long before you were born and I can keep doing so if you're not around. Not that I'm not grateful for your company, but…you know."

"All right," Elizabeth nodded, getting up and grabbing her purse off the kitchen table. "I'll be back tonight if you want me to be. Or I could just stay home. Whatever you prefer. Oh, and did I mention that Dad called while you were gone and told me to wish you the best of luck?"

"Yeah," Katherine assured her. "You did."

"Okay, good," Elizabeth smiled. "I'm gonna go now. Take care of yourself!"

When Katherine heard the slam of the door, she remained at the kitchen table, not saying a word and trying to revel in the silence, in the fact that she was finally in complete control of her world again.

But that contentment was fragile at best and soon, she was thinking about Rodan again. How, even as annoying as he was, he made her life have excitement. He was another body in the house. And (even she had to admit in spite of herself, he was really, _really_ hot.) She wondered if her discontentment since she'd returned home meant that she missed him. That there was something about him that filled a need for her that no one else could, even if she didn't like him that much. It could be a possibility. It wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

Nodding resolutely, she got up off the chair, packed a bag, and set off to find Rodan's. It took her some time to find, but when she reached it, she parked in the driveway, debating strenuously with herself about whether she should actually go in or not.

"This time it was your choice," she told herself. "Coming here, I mean. He didn't force you. You packed a bag and drove here because you missed how he shook up your world. Don't do this halfway. Just take a breath and go." She then got out of the car, grabbed her bag out of the trunk, and strode up to the front door, knocking furiously and hoping he would come and pull her inside before she changed her mind and left.

"Katherine?" He said in amazement when he opened the door. "You came back. Why?"

"I don't know," Katherine replied. "I was bored. Now, let me in before I run off again. Unless of course you don't actually want me here."

"Oh, I do," he said with a grin as he picked her up and put her over one shoulder and took her bag with his free hand. "No doubt about that. I'm glad you came back."

* * *

The next day, Selina came home over the lunch hour and found Dorian in his office, swearing repeatedly under his breath. "Well, when I saw your car, I was going to ask if you wanted to have a little fun before I went back to work, but I can see you're not really in the mood for it." She sat down on the side of the desk. "What's the matter? You wanna share? Maybe I can help."

"All right," Dorian nodded, glad he didn't have to go through this alone. He doubted what she could _actually_ do to help, but he never let a chance to tell her something that was weighing on him go to waste. "I just found out that another demon, one of my worst rivals, has been set loose and is roaming around just waiting for the chance to cause trouble for me."

"I'm sorry," Selina replied. "What's his name? It's a guy, right?"

"Yeah," Dorian sighed. "And his name is Rodan. He's the biggest son of a bitch you'll ever meet."

"Oh, I doubt that," Selina told him. "I've met many jerks in my time."

"Yes, but not Rodan," Dorian told her. "Trust me on this. He is the worst of the worst. He was really bitter that Hazel chose me to be one of the more important demons and has made trouble for me since it happened. I can't get away from him. He's like a terrible disease or something."

"I have a person like that in my life," Selina said. "I mean, it's not as bad between us as it used to be, but Katherine Pierce and I…well, when she steals your fiancé, almost kills you and your baby, and orchestrates things so that you become a vampire and really come to hate one of the few people you trusted your whole human life…well, that makes you not a good person, does it?"

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Dorian soothed her, taking her in his lap and giving her a hug. "Is she still around?"

"Yeah," Selina confirmed, her tone dark. "She could outlive a cockroach. I just hope she and this Rodan don't meet. It could be real trouble."

"You really think so?" Dorian asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded, eyes narrowed. "I do."

* * *

"You have to make me look really good!" Lily told Laura as she sat down in the salon chair after deciding to take her sister up on the offer to do her hair. "Can you do it? Wait, stupid question. I know you can. Do your best!"

"Why?" Laura asked. "What's the emergency?" She directed her to a sink to wash her hair and when Lily sat down and tilted her head back, began running the water.

"It's not really an emergency per se, but there's this guy that I have a weird sort of on-again, off again relationship with and we just had a _huge_ fight. I've been avoiding him and I decided that that's childish, so I want to go see him. But I want to look really good before I do it so he feels really bad about treating me like crap," Lily explained.

"Well, I have to say that I don't think you need help in that department, but whatever you want me to do, I'll do it." Laura told her. "Did you want to dye your hair?"

"Nah, not yet," Lily shook her head. "Make it really soft and kind of poofy. And I think I have split ends."

"You do," Laura nodded, inspecting them. "But we can get rid of those quick."

"Thanks," Lily smiled at her. "You're the best."

Laura trimmed her hair and made it big, and after that, even let Lily go through her closet to find something hot to wear when she went to see Arthur.

"I really look good," she remarked as she twirled around in the white dress and red pumps. "Thanks for this. I can't say I have anything particularly sexy in my wardrobe at home." She then looked down at her chest. "You wouldn't happen to have a push-up bra or anything like that on you, would you?"

"Oh, you don't need that," Laura shook her head. "You look great just like that. He'll be speechless and full of regret."

"Well, good!" Lily grinned at herself in the mirror as Laura stood behind her. "That's exactly how I want him to feel."

* * *

"Hi, Lily," Selina greeted her when she strode purposefully through the house looking for Arthur. "Nice to see you. You haven't been around in a while. And your hair looks wonderful!"

"Thanks, I went to see Laura," Lily told her with a smile. "Now, where's your son so I can throw how pretty I am in his face? He's not out with other girls, is he?"

"No, he's in his room," Selina said. "You remember where that is?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded and stomped there, knocking loudly on the door.

"What?" Arthur yelled, his face changing when he saw her. For a moment, he was shocked, then his shock changed to anger, and then nonchalance as he cleared his throat. "Lily, what a nice surprise," he said in a monotone voice. "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me why we've not seen each other in so long!" Lily replied. "I keep telling myself that I'm avoiding you, but it's you who's been avoiding _me_!"

"Well, that's because I thought you would rather be shacking up with my enemy," Arthur told her. You like him now, remember? You seemed pretty happy he was fucking you. How can you expect me to just take you back and pretend nothing happened after I saw something like that, huh?" He then paused and stepped toward her, his eyes sweeping over her body. "You know, you look really good. Is this get up for me? Were you trying to get me back?" He grinned. "You made a good effort."

It was then that Lily slapped him, her face becoming demon-like for a moment. "No, I didn't do this for you!" She spat. "Could you _be_ any more of a self-centered asshole? I came here dressed like this so you could see what you're missing. And now that you know what that is, I'm leaving and you can just be regretful about what you're not getting."

"Fine!" He called as she strode from his room. "Leave! I don't care! I know you'll be back. And next time, I'm gonna dump _you!_ "

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try!" Lily yelled. "Whatever you say or do, it's not gonna affect me. You're nothing! I hate you!"

Arthur gave her the finger that she would never see, but his mother did as she made her way toward his room

"Well, that's real friendly," she remarked.

"That wasn't aimed at you," Arthur replied, blushing.

"Well, I should hope not," Selina told him. "What was all that shouting about?"

"Lily came here and had the gall to tell me that I didn't have the right to be upset that I caught her sleeping with a guy I hated," Arthur said.

"Now, this might just be me not understanding demon stuff, but how come you can be mad at her for sleeping with the guy she was sleeping with, but she can't be mad at you for the liaisons I know you had at school? They probably hurt her."

"Yeah, sure, but none of that was done to intentionally piss her off," Arthur reminded his mother. "That was just me doing my duty. But the guy she slept with, she had to have known (Cause the point of the kidnapping was to rile me up) that the guy she was with was someone I didn't like. She intentionally upset me."

"All right," Selina nodded, putting her hands up and stepping away. "I'm gonna stay out of this now, but before I do, I'm going to tell you that spending your life being mad at someone you love because they slept with someone you didn't like, that's…that's poison, no matter how satisfying it might seem to you right now. Don't let your anger at Lily now drive her away from you forever."

"You seem like you're talking from experience," Arthur told her. "You wanna share?"

"Well, yes," Selina nodded. "The first guy I was ever engaged to as a human was a man named Damon Salvatore. He was one of the few people in my human life that I actually thought of as a friend and as the years went by, we fell in love. Then the Civil War hit and before he went off to fight, he proposed to me, and I asked him to have sex with me before he left, in case he never came back. I didn't want anyone else to be my first, especially not the sort of guys my mother wanted me to marry." She shuddered.

"Not long after he left, I got sick, and while I was being cared for, I found out I was pregnant with his baby. I hid out at the doctor's house so my mother wouldn't find out and scold me for disgracing the family name, but when Damon left the army early and came home, he was…he was told that I was dead by a vampire named Katherine Pierce who was staying at my house. She'd come into our lives as the daughter of one of my stepfathers, but she was really just a vampire who'd messed with the man's mind to get near me. The reasons for that are irrelevant, though, so don't ask. Anyway, for multiple reasons, she needed me out of the way to get close to my fiancé and she turned him into a vampire, and for years, both him and I thought the other was unfaithful, and we carried those grudges on and off forever. We let our unhappiness and jealousy make us hate one of the few people we both considered a genuine friend and a person we truly believed we could love forever. Do you want things to be like that with you and Lily? Say no. Tell me you're not foolish enough to say 'Yes'."

"Oh, all right," Arthur sighed. "I'll forgive Lily for what she did. I'll try and make peace with her. But I'm still mad."

"I know," Selina told him and gave him a hug. "But there are other ways to deal with that. Want me to show you some of them?"


	22. Give Me A Shot

"Why did you come back?" Rodan asked Katherine. "When you left, I honestly thought I would never see you again."

" _I_ honestly thought you would never see me again either," Katherine admitted. "I thought I would be able to go home and continue on with my life how it had been before I met you, but…much to my dismay, I discovered that it wasn't that simple."

"Oh, wasn't it?" Rodan grinned.

"Don't make fun," Katherine flushed deeply but kept her eyes on him. "Opening up is hard for me. The only way I'm gonna be able to stay is if you treat me like a person. And I'll treat you like a person. We have to have a relationship. Not just a fling. Unless that's too hard for you."

"No," Rodan sighed. "I suppose…I suppose I have some things I could tell you. Not that you'll really care to hear them."

"You don't know that," Katherine told him. "Try me. I might! Let's start with sharing one thing about ourselves. Just one. We don't have to rush it."

"And you'll actually share with me?" Rodan asked, raising an eyebrow. "It won't just be me doing all the talking?"

"No," Katherine promised. "It won't, I swear. Now, share something with me. Do you have any kids?"

"Oh, do I!" Rodan told her. "A lot, actually. I've been around a while."

"I hope I don't have to meet all of them at once," Katherine said.

"You don't have to feel overwhelmed," he assured her. "Only two of my boys are in direct contact with me. Or I know where they are. Is that easier for you to deal with?"

"Two boys," Katherine nodded. "Yeah, I think I can handle that."

"Your turn," he said. "I know about Elizabeth. Any others?"

"Yes, actually," Katherine nodded. "A daughter named Nadia. I had her when I was human. And since she was illegitimate, my parents took her away and she got raised somewhere else, and then the next time I saw her (much to my shock) I found out that she'd become a vampire too, so we've been trying to build up a relationship. I need to call her. Haven't done that in a while."

Rodan smirked. "Wouldn't it be interesting if my sons and your daughters-"

"Yes, but Elizabeth is married," Katherine interrupted. "And Charlie's a good guy."

"My younger boy is married too, and I don't think he'd leave his wife either, but…it's an interesting thought," Rodan remarked.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded and sat back on the sofa. "I suppose it is. And they're going to have to meet sometime."

"Do you think it will be a problem?" Rodan wanted to know.

"Well, of course I can't speak for your boys, but I think on my end, Nadia and Elizabeth won't cause any trouble," Katherine assured him. "They're much less volatile than I am."

"You say it like that's a good thing," Rodan smiled. "But it's good to know I got the most exciting one of the lot."

"You say that now," Katherine smiled. "But just wait until you've spent more time with me. I could lose my charm after a while."

"I don't think so," Rodan shook his head, his dark eyes gleaming as he gave her a smile that showed a mouthful of large teeth. "I don't agree with that at all." He then gracefully got to his feet. "I think that in celebration of our newfound civility, I want a drink. Can I get you one?"

"Sure," Katherine smiled. "Why not?"

He came back a few minutes later with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. "I'm not really fond of this because it's weak human stuff compared to demon wine, which I think would be too strong for you to handle. But I guess it's not bad."

After they clinked glasses, Katherine downed the glass he'd given her and put it down on the table, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean when you say that the demon wine is too strong for me? You don't know that! I can handle whatever you throw at me! I'm not weak!"

"I didn't say you were," Rodan told her. "I just…I know what it feels like to have a hangover from that stuff and it's not pleasant."

"I don't care," Katherine told him. "Give me a try, would you? And if it's as bad as you say, then whatever happens is my fault, right? Cause I was the one who asked?"

"Okay," Rodan sighed since she clearly wasn't going to give up on this. "I'll let you have some demon wine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Later in the day, the good mood between them continued when he led her into his closet to show her the surprise he'd cooked up for her.

"What sort of surprise is it?" She asked. "I'm scared to find out."

"Oh, it's not terrifying," Rodan told her before they entered. "Shut your eyes. It'll be more fun that way."

"Okay, but this better be good!" Katherine warned as he pulled her into the closet and stood her in front of a whole row of designer dresses in different patterns and colors.

"Okay!" He whispered in her ear while sneaking a nibble on her earlobe. "Surprise! You can open your eyes now."

"Oh, my god!" Katherine gasped when she did just that and saw all the dresses. "Are these all for me?"

"No, you only get half of them," Rodan told her dryly. "The other half is mine."

She raised an eyebrow and he burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding," he told her. "Of course they're all yours. Would you like me to leave now so you can look them over?"

"Yes, please," Katherine grinned and gave a little hop, unable to hide her happiness. "Thank you, Rodan."

"You're welcome," he told her. "Enjoy."

"I will," Katherine said and gave him a genuine grin. "Don't you worry about that."

* * *

"I have another surprise for you," Rodan said, coming up behind her as she tried on the next dress he'd bought her that was in her side of the closet. He got distracted by the fact that she was in her underwear and as he stood trying to control his breathing, his hands roamed all over her body and a soft groan escaped her lips. "You look so gorgeous," he whispered in her ear. "It's driving me crazy!"

He was just about to slip her panties down and make love to her right there in the closet when he came back to his senses and told himself that that would have to wait.

"Put something on," he said. Once she had, he put his hands over her eyes and asked her to come with him.

"Why?" Katherine asked. "What are we doing? Is it sex? Cause that's not much of a surprise. I've already seen you naked."

"No," Rodan told her. "While you've been in here, I was doing research about how to have a relationship like you said you wanted and I think I found a good way to continue with that. So…would you like to zip up your dress and come with me?"

"You'll have to zip it," Katherine replied, her eyes shut tight. She waited while he zipped up the red dress with the flowing skirt, then he took her to the living room where, when she opened them, she saw a TV with a bunch of movies next to it, along with a large bowl of popcorn on a tray table.

"What sort of movie did you want to see?" He asked.

"Let's do something funny," she decided. "I'm not ready to cry in front of you, and I think that if you tried to put your arm around me at this stage…let's just not do that."

"Okay," he said and put the movies in her lap. "Pick one."

She picked the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast and other than when she slid her hand in his and squeezed it tight, they didn't speak or touch each other until the movie ended, focusing either on the screen, or on the huge bowl of popcorn in front of them instead.

* * *

It was as the credits rolled that they finally seemed to remember that the other was there and stared at one another for a long moment. His hand went on her bare thigh, slowly sliding up and down and up and down, even slipping under her skirt. Then her hands cupped his face and he kissed her deeply for a few seconds before she pulled away, her eyes wide. She looked at him and started to pull away before changing her mind and kissing him again, her fingers running through his hair as she reached down to unzip his pants.

"You won't do it," he whispered with a grin as her hand hovered over his crotch. "You're too scared."

"I'm not," she told him with a smile and unzipped his pants, her hands slipping under them to touch him while he kissed her and gently bit her lower lip

"Oh, oh god," she got out when they paused again for breath. They panted deeply and then he stood up and she gave him a whack of the bottom and pushed him toward his bedroom.

"Wait, wait, wait," he told her and turned around to face her.

"What?" Katherine groaned. "Don't stop now! Not when we're about to do something really good!"

"What I'm about to suggest we do will make it better," he grinned, one side of his mouth up. "Did you still want to try that demon wine? Or have you come to your senses and decided against it?"

"No, I still want to try it," Katherine assured him. "Where is it? Go get it!"

He grinned and went down to the wine cellar, returning with a dusty black bottle and two glasses. "Good luck," he told her and poured her a glass of red liquid. "I hope you make it."

She grinned and downed the first glass without hesitation. It was bitter and strong and stung her throat, making her gag. She didn't want another glass, but since he was watching, she pushed it toward him again. "More," she got out with a cough. "Give me more!"

Soon, they were both doing shots of demon wine and only stopped when the bottle was empty. Since Rodan was used to the stuff, it had no effect on him, but Katherine could barely stand up. So he picked her up and carried her to bed.

"You should get some rest," he told her. "You drank a lot."

"Oh, don't be silly," she replied and began plucking at his shirt. "Take off your clothes! Let's have sex!"

He grinned and nodded. "All right," he said and undressed. "You might regret it in the morning though."

"I know, but it's not morning now, is it?" Katherine smiled.

He tried to help her undress, but she shook her head. "No, I can do it!" She assured him, trying to do what he assumed was a sexy series of movements while undressing.

Soon, they were both naked. He tied her wrists together and laid her on the pillow, kissing her deeply as he pushed into her over and over again.

"Oh! Oh, yes, this is good!" She cried. "Do it again! Harder! Harder! Come on, Rodan!"

He did the best he could and soon, they were both sweating, their bodies very warm to the touch. And just a glance told him that she was exhausted. But she wouldn't sleep. She was too stubborn for that.

"Just a little more," she begged. "I can handle it, I swear!"

"All right," he told her. "But after that, you're sleeping! Otherwise, you'll regret what you've done even more than I already know you will."

Katherine gave him a boozy grin. "I don't know what that means, but okay," she said.

So he rubbed and kissed her inner thighs and pleasured her with his tongue until she climaxed, and finally, after he stroked her hair and helped her put on one of his shirts, she fell asleep and he tucked her in, hoping she would get a very much needed good night's rest.

* * *

As he expected, the next morning, he woke up to the sound of Katherine throwing up. "Good morning," He greeted her as he made his way into the bathroom where she was hanging over the toilet. "Would you like me to hold back your hair?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded and gagged. "It's the least you could do after you made me end up like this. What the hell was in that wine? I usually have a high tolerance! I'm not used to waking up the morning after and having to run for the toilet."

"I _do_ remember mentioning, maybe even more than once, that demon wine is strong stuff and would be too much for you," Rodan reminded her and clicked his tongue. "But you didn't listen. I knew you wouldn't until you experienced what I was saying for yourself."

"Damn you for being right," Katherine told him and threw up again. "How come you're just fine?"

"Well, because I've drunk the stuff for years," Rodan told her. "I'm a demon and you're not. That's why."

"Am I going to be feeling like shit all day?" Katherine questioned.

"It's possible," Rodan admitted. "I won't tell you otherwise."

After Katherine finally reached a point where she felt good enough to stand up, Rodan led her to bed cause she refused to be carried, and tucked her in. "Thank you," she told him.

"You're welcome," he said, one of his hands cupping her face. "I hope you learned a good lesson. I'll get you some coffee. That might make you feel better, and then later in the day, we'll get some blood and food in you."

"All right," Katherine told him. "You're the boss."

"Finally you're listening to me," he told her as he paused by the door. "Good. It's nice to know that you can learn from your mistakes."

"Don't lecture me," Katherine told him as the pounding in her head resumed. "Just bring me my coffee and painkillers, turn off the light, and let me try and sleep."

"All right," he said affably. "Normally, I don't like being ordered around, but you look so pathetic right now that I can't be mad."

"Get out!" Katherine growled and chucked a spare pillow at him. But he closed it just in time and it hit the door, landing in front of it. Katherine stared at it lying there for a few seconds, then rested her head on the pillow, tried to control her breathing, and waited for him to come back with her medicine.


	23. The Good Son

"Who are you?" John asked when he looked up and saw Rodan standing in the doorway of his office. "What do you want?"

"You have something I want," Rodan told him. "Some _one_ , to be more precise. I want to see my son. I know you have Christian."

"Christian's not your son!" John bristled. "He's mine! You stay away from him!"

"I don't think so!" Rodan grabbed him by the collar. "Where is he? Tell me right now!"

John choked out, "If I tell you where he is, will you let me go?"

"Of course," Rodan replied and shook him. "It's not a difficult concept to grasp."

John struggled to reach the pen and paper on his desk and wrote out Christian's address for Rodan to take.  
"I hope you can read that," he said. "If you can't, it's not my fault. It's hard to write when you're being choked."

Rodan just scoffed at him, turned on his heel, and strode out of his office.

"I have _got_ to get some new associates," John told himself as he rubbed his throat and went to pour himself a drink.

"What's the commotion in here?" Freya asked a few minutes later, poking her head through the door. "Did you tick someone off again?"

"Not intentionally, no," John replied, coughing and once again massaging his throat. "I just…there are more things involved in making deals with demons than I realized. More consequences. And another one just showed up."

"Oh?" Freya sighed then. "All right, who was it? How much trouble are you in?"

"It's not me!" John exclaimed. "It's Christian! The man who was just here is the father of the demon inside of him. He wanted his address so he could see his son."

"And you gave it to him?" Freya asked.

"Well, I didn't really have any other choice!" John hissed through his teeth.

"What do you mean?" Freya gave him a push. "You're one of the oldest magical people ever and the most powerful and you can't stand up to these demons and stop them? _Why_?"

"Because my stupid sister Hazel created them and she hates me!" John yelled back, his arms flailing about wildly. "Or she hated me, to be more precise. Do you think she'd create something that would be easy for me to beat?"

"Well, no, but what are you going to do now?" Freya questioned. "Just let this demon take your son and possibly hurt him? You have to do something! I didn't spend all those long and painful hours giving birth to him so he could be kidnapped and abused!"

"He can handle himself," John tried to calm Freya. "He's a grown man and he doesn't need us to jump in and rescue him every time something happens."

"I think you have too much faith in him," Freya remarked.

"And I don't think you have any at all," John shot back.

"Why you aren't as worried about Christian as you are Ingrid, I have no idea," Freya rolled her eyes.

"Can we not talk about that?" John asked. "I'll call him and warn him, all right?"

"Yeah, you better," Freya spat. "Cause giving him a fighting chance against this evil is the right thing to do if you won't let me go and save him in person."

"And you know why I won't let you do it?" John asked. "The other reason, I mean?"

"Why?" Freya asked, eyes narrowed.

"Cause while you're a strong and powerful woman, if I don't have much of a chance against this demon, you'll have even less of one and I don't want you to die," he pointed out. "Is that wrong? Do you hate me for that?"

"No," Freya sighed. "I guess not."

"Good," John got out firmly before going to the phone. "It's nice that we understand one another."

* * *

Eric had been the one to tell Rodan John's address so he could find Christian and when Sophia found out, she wasn't happy.

"Who's that nut that wanted to know about my father?" She asked her husband. "What does he want with him? You're not putting him in any sort of danger, are you?"

"No," Eric promised. "I swear! That guy…he's Christian's father."

"No, he's not!" Sophia shook her head. "My Grandpa John is his father!"

"Rodan is the father of the demon in your father's body," Eric told her. "So it's both. Your father probably doesn't remember Rodan at all, but he will, eventually."

"What do you think that Rodan guy is gonna do when he gets to my parents' house?" Sophia questioned. "Is Daddy gonna be kidnapped or hurt?"

"I hope not," Eric replied. "But if something bad happens, I'll be accountable for it. I promise."

"You mean you'll go after Rodan?" Sophia asked.

"Yes," Eric told her. "If Rodan does something bad to your father, I'll avenge him."

"Good," Sophia smiled and gave him a kiss before locking her arms around him. "Thank you, Eric."

"You're welcome," Eric told her. "You're welcome."

* * *

After he got Christian's address, Rodan reached his front door and was just about to go in when he realized something: the boy had probably been warned against him. Told that he was bad and awful and was just going to hurt him. So if he just showed up, there was no way he would be allowed inside if his son was smart. He had to find a way to appear harmless. But how to do that?

He stepped away from the house and paced up and down the sidewalk for several minutes as he tried to think of what to do. Then it hit him: Katherine! He would bring Katherine with him, she would speak for his good intentions, and then he would be allowed inside. He didn't know if it would work for sure, but it was better than nothing.

* * *

When he arrived home, he found Katherine in the last stages of recovery from her first encounter with demon wine. Her hair wasn't brushed and she was wearing a dark red bathrobe.

"Hi," she said as she saw him and poured herself another cup of coffee. "How long is the recovery period for that demon wine? Is it ever gonna end?"

"I think you're almost through it," he assured her and ruffled her hair. "You're being a real trooper. Now, I need you to get cleaned up and dressed and come on an errand with me."

"No!" Katherine shook her head. "I don't want to. I don't feel well!"

"You'll get to meet one of my sons if you come with me," he pointed out. "You want that, right? Aren't you the least bit intrigued?"

"Maybe a little," Katherine admitted after a silence and stood up, putting her coffee cup down. "All right, I'll go and dress so I can come with you and meet your son."

"Thank you," Rodan told her. "You're really helping me out here."

"I know," Katherine said, pausing and turning her head. "You're really gonna owe me later."

"I can deal with that," Rodan grinned.

* * *

"I want us to take a trip," Jill told Christian, pacing around the living room and biting her nails. "I don't care where we go, we just need to get out of here!"

"Why?" Christian asked. "Are you feeling romantic?" he grinned and tried to nuzzle her neck but she grunted with impatience and pushed him out of the way.

"No, that's not the point, although it could happen," Jill replied. "I just…I feel like something bad is going to happen to you if we stay. That something bad is coming."

"You want to know what it is?" Christian asked. "It's…it's my father. Or the father of the demon inside me. He wants to see me. Sophia and my mom called and said he was on his way."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jill cried. "We need to go now before he comes and something bad happens to you!"

Christian strongly disagreed internally that running was a good way to handle this, but since Jill was clearly distraught, he decided to humor her. "All right," he said. "Let's pack our bags and go."

It was just as they had them set by the door that the doorbell rang.

"Don't answer it," Jill whispered. "Don't even breathe. Maybe if they think we're not home, they'll go away."

"My car is in the driveway and the lights are on," Christian told her through his teeth. "They won't believe we're not home. Let's just open the door and get this out of the way."

"All right," Jill sighed. "I guess we can do that."

Christian opened the door while Jill clung tight to his arm and found himself standing face to face with the man who was allegedly his father. "Hi," he said, trying to relax. "I…I heard you were coming to visit, man who claims to be my father. Come in, come in."

"Thank you," Rodan told him. "And don't worry. I know you don't remember anything about our familial connection, so I won't try and force a relationship before there is one. I just…I wanted to make sure you were all right and managing well."

"I am," Christian nodded and indicated Jill. "This is my wife. She has psychic powers. We're happy."

"Yeah, sure sounds like it," Katherine smiled at his flat tone.

"Don't tease him, Katherine," Rodan remonstrated.

"Sorry," she replied and gave Christian a smile. "I'm Katherine. I'm living at your father's house right now."

"Ah," Christian nodded. "All right. Are you a demon too?"

"Nope, vampire," Katherine said.

"Although she _did_ try some wine the other night that's so strong only demons can handle it and made it through remarkably well," Rodan said. "That's to her credit."

Katherine blushed and then Rodan cleared his throat. "Now, to business. "Is that man who is your father now really as dumb as he seems?"

"I never thought he was dumb," Christian shrugged. "He always seemed really powerful and on top of it to me. He used magic on me once that made me turn on Jill!"

"Yeah," Jill nodded. "It really sucked, too. Of course there's nothing at all pleasant about being murdered, so…"

"Did he say you were a witch?" Rodan asked.

"Yes," Jill nodded.

"Well, what sort of idiot would have a witch murdered rather than find a way to convince her to be on his side?" Rodan wanted to know. "He just keeps getting dumber by the minute. Of course, Hazel never spoke highly of him, so I can't say I'm surprised."

"Do you mind?" Christian asked irritably. "That's the man I sometimes think of as my father that you're talking about, and if you want us to have any sort of relationship, you won't badmouth him!"

There was an uncomfortable silence and then Rodan stared at Christian and said, "Are you ordering me around?"

"No, I'm making a reasonable request," Christian corrected. "Let me guess: you're not used to being told you're wrong?"

"No, not particularly," Rodan shook his head.

"Are you going to kill me now?" Christian questioned.

"No," Rodan shook his head. "I don't think I will. Not when you seem so much more competent than your brother. I could use some competence right about now."

"I have a brother?" Christian asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Rodan sighed and looked heavenward. "But I might not have you meet him. He'd be a terrible influence on you."

"Or I could be a good influence on him," Christian said.

"Could be," Rodan admitted. "But let's just keep our relationship between the two of us for the time being, all right?"

"Sure," Christian nodded, not knowing what else to say. "If you think that's best."

"Good," Rodan smiled before Jill rose to her feet and asked if anyone wanted a drink.

"I'll come with you and help," Katherine offered.

"Good," Jill said. "Thanks."

They got to the kitchen and Jill locked eyes with her. "Did he kidnap you?" She asked. "Christian did that with me. I mean, I love him now, but it was a rocky road for a bit."

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "But then I left and found out things weren't so exciting for me without him, so I came back."

"All right," Jill nodded. "Good. But if…if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Katherine replied as she watched Jill get sodas and beer out of the refrigerator. "I don't know if I'll ever need to talk, but it's good to know there's someone in my corner."


	24. Two Equal Adversaries

"How are you doing?" Selina asked when she found her son punching a punching bag in his room. "Is that helping with your anger at all? Are you feeling more able to make peace with Lily? Or at least talk to her in a civil way?"

"Oh, I don't know," Arthur gave the bag another punch and he and Selina both ducked as it came flying toward them. "Maybe. I don't know. Is it wrong to want her to come to me? Why do I have to grovel and beg when she's the one who wronged _me?"_

"While that might be true, this shouldn't be about keeping score," Selina told him. "If you want her in your life, it shouldn't matter if she gives you the satisfaction of begging or not. Do you love her, or do you just see her as an object?"

"No, I love her," Arthur sighed and sat down. "I have to, otherwise all this wouldn't hurt so much, would it?"

"No," Selina kissed his forehead. "I suppose not."

"So you think _I_ should be the one to start us on the right path again," Arthur said.

"Well, I think that's the only way you'll stop being miserable, but it's up to you," Selina replied. "You're a person capable of making your own decisions. I don't need to have complete control over your life anymore." She paused. "Right?"

"Yeah," Arthur smiled and stood up. "Right. I can handle this myself. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome," Selina replied with a grin and left his bedroom.

* * *

"How's Lily doing regarding the breakup with Arthur?" Selina asked Amy. "I mean, last time I saw them together, it wasn't good."

"No," Amy shook her head. "Lily seems pretty resolute about not going anywhere near him until he apologizes to her, which of course is making Elijah go over the moon. And would you believe that I found lists of what I _think_ are potential 'appropriate' boyfriends for her in his desk drawer?" She shook her head.

"Of course I believe it," Selina nodded. "It's how Laura ended up with Edward."

"Really?" Amy asked. "You know, I always wondered about them and how the heck it was they got together but that makes total sense now." She paused. "Does Arthur feel bad about Lily?"

"Yes, but of course he wants _her_ to apologize first, even though I know he's hurting without her," Selina confirmed.

"Do you think we should do something?" Amy asked. "Or should we keep out of it?"

"I sort of promised Arthur I'd keep my distance, but you said no such thing to Lily, right?"

"Well, of course not!" Amy shook her head. "Someone has to protect her from Elijah's crazy machinations so she can live her own life."

"Good," Selina smiled. "You're smarter than I am."

"I really hope they get together on their own, though," Amy sighed. "Cause I really thought they liked each other. Isn't that the impression you got?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "Definitely. Arthur likes Lily. Lily likes Arthur. And I don't know how long they'll be able to keep hiding that."

"With both their demon natures, I don't think it'll be very long," Amy remarked. "Won't be long before feelings bubble to the surface and it all becomes too much."

"Yep," Selina agreed. "I think you're right."

* * *

She was.

After a particularly steamy dream involving him, Lily, and some chocolate syrup, when he woke up in bed alone, Arthur decided he had had enough. He had to be the one to make things up with Lily. He was going to last much longer if he didn't. He went to the bathroom, dumped cold water on himself, then got dressed and went downstairs, grabbing the keys to his mother's car (it was a pink bug, but since it was nighttime, no one would see him drive it), and headed to Lily's house, where he climbed up the side and knocked on her bedroom window.

She was half-awake when she got up to see who it was and then made the mistake of opening window and letting Arthur inside. He quickly left a note on her pillow, then grabbed Lily and, using his powers, made the jump from her second floor window and landed gently on the ground with her clutched tightly to his chest.

"Where are we going?" She whispered, her eyes half-open.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'm taking you home."

* * *

But by the time they were both in his bedroom and the lights came on while they stood staring at each other over opposite sides of the bed, Lily was much more awake and glaring at her captor. "Why am I here?" She asked. "What do you want from me?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Arthur asked with a smirk. "I thought you knew that already."

"I'm not apologizing," Lily said through her teeth. "I've got nothing to apologize for!" She paused. "Unless you'd like to acknowledge that your sleeping with other demon girls when you knew I liked you hurt my feelings and you're sorry about that."

"That was business!" Arthur said through his teeth. "You know that! You know I didn't feel anything for those girls when I slept with them."

"Maybe, but it still hurt me to see!" Lily cried. "Why do you always brush that off like it's nothing? Why don't you care about how I feel?"

"Cause I really don't understand why you feel bad!" Arthur yelled. "And if you think you can just get away with sleeping with that guy and then be with me, isn't that the same thing? Why don't you apologize for that?"

"Oh, come on," Lily said. "I didn't even enjoy it!"

"So we're both in agreement that we don't have to apologize for our past flings if neither of us enjoyed them and they didn't actually mean anything?" Arthur said. "That's what it seems like."

Lily sighed. "I guess. But there's one thing that I think you should apologize for."

"Your hurt feelings?" Arthur crossed his arms. "I'll apologize for yours if you apologize for mine."

"I don't really believe your feelings were hurt by what I did," Lily said. "You just want me to feel bad so you don't have to feel bad all by yourself."

"Oh?" Arthur bounded over the bed and grabbed her. "You don't think I'm capable of having actual feelings for you? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah," Lily spat. "That's what I'm saying!" Then she stared him down. "Bet you won't prove me wrong!"

"Of course I will!" Arthur told her. "What do you think I brought you here for?" He then grabbed her and kissed her, his fingers running through her tangled red hair as she pulled at his shirt and they both fell onto the mattress.

They kept their eyes on each other as they tore off their clothes and threw them in a pile by the bed, and when they were both naked and he was looking into her face, Lily thought that he would just get right to business, but he didn't. He softly kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. He paused to play with her hair, ran his hands over her body, giving her chills. Then, ever so gently, he parted her legs, kissed up her thighs, and slowly pleasured her with his tongue, licking her over and over again as she felt tension she hadn't even realized was there leave her body.

"Oh, oh, yes, there you go," she whispered and shut her eyes. "A little more, please. A little more." Then she called his name as she climaxed. "Oh, my god, Arthur. Oh, my god, I love you!"

That made him stop for a moment. A second. Did she mean it? Had it just slipped out? Was this something serious, or just said in the heat of the moment?

"Are you okay?" She asked, "What's the matter?"

His face felt hot. She hadn't realized what she'd said, so it was best that he didn't mention it himself. He didn't want to embarrass her and say something that would probably lead to another fight. Not now. "Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to stop. And also…I'm sorry if what I did before hurt your feelings. This is much better anyway."

"Well, I should hope so because I feel the same," Lily told him.

Then he suggested that she roll over on her stomach so he could give her a back rub, which she did without hesitation as he came into her from behind and rubbed her shoulders and back while she rested her head on her arms.

"Did you know that you had this much tension in your back and shoulders?" He asked as he kneaded the muscles.

"Yeah, I mean, have you tried living with my dad?" Lily asked. "I'm sure he started making up lists of boyfriends for me the second you and I parted ways."

"Ah, so…if we get back together, it will upset him," Arthur said and paused to push into her.

"Well, that feels different when you do it from back there," Lily remarked. "It's not bad, I'm just stating a fact."

He backed out of her and put his boxers back on to finish her massage, then got out of bed.

"Are we done?" She asked.

"Not if you have chocolate syrup around here," he said with a grin. "Cause I had a dream where…"

"It's in the refrigerator," Lily said. "You think you could get down to the kitchen and back without waking anyone up?"

"You might be more successful," Arthur conceded as she nodded and put on a bathrobe. "Hurry back."

"Oh, I will, don't worry," Lily assured him.

She got back in good time and as far as she knew, hadn't awakened either of her parents. She removed her robe and hung it on the bedpost, then climbed into bed with Arthur, who was naked again, and handed him the bottle. "Do what you will," she whispered in his ear and kissed the lobe. "I'll be anxious to see."

He poured some of the cold syrup on her belly and she gasped when it hit her skin, relaxing as his warm tongue slowly and carefully licked it up. And when he slowly sucked on her syrup-covered nipples as he rubbed her again….that was heaven.

Then he stopped. They were both breathing heavily. "You can put that back if you want," he said. "I've gotten through the dream I had."

"Just a minute," Lily smiled and loomed over him, smearing chocolate over his cock and slowly licking it off before she licked her lips, smirked at him, her face illuminated by moonlight streaming in the open window, and began gently sucking on him.

He balled his hands into fists and shut his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. This wasn't the first time someone had done this for him, but Lily…she did it better, that was for sure. He was so aroused that when he climaxed, he let out a yell, which was immediately followed by Lily putting a hand over his mouth.

"What did you do that for?" She whispered in shock. "Do you want us to be found? Do you want your mom to call my dad and tell him that you kidnapped me? Which, if you think about it, was a really stupid thing to do. You're lucky I never truly stopped hating you."

"Would you really have ratted me out to your dad if you hadn't liked me?" He asked and took her hand to kiss her fingers.

"No, but I would have been _very_ upset with you," Lily told him as he looked into her eyes. "That's for sure."

"No, you wouldn't," he shook his head. "Well, not for long, anyway." Then, he took her in his arms and kissed her deeply as he pushed her back onto the mattress.


	25. Not Really So Bad

When Arthur and Lily woke up the following morning, they smiled at one another and snuggled in each other's arms for a moment before the smell of bacon made them realize that eventually they'd have to go downstairs and face his parents. That broke the mood.

"We have no reason to be worried," Arthur pointed out as he put on his boxers and she put on a t-shirt. "They're not going to mock us or anything." But the flush on his cheeks gave away the fact that he wasn't as confident as he sounded.

"You're not ashamed of what we did, are you?" She asked, coming into his arms. "Tell me you aren't."

He kissed her and ruffled her hair. "No, of course not," he assured her. "I loved it. I just don't want to talk to my parents about it. Not yet, anyway. You understand, right?"

"Oh sure," Lily nodded, thinking of her father. "I understand. But your parents are better than my father. I'm sure they won't tease us. In fact, I think you'll be more likely to get yelled at for kidnapping me than teased for having me here in the first place."

"All right, I know that was not the best way to go, but if I hadn't done it, we'd probably still be fighting," Arthur pointed out. "And this arrangement is much better, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded, grinning as she kissed his cheek. They then took a deep breath and each other's hands, making their way down to the breakfast table and bracing for what Selina and Dorian would say. They didn't have to wait long.

"Well, hello!" Dorian cried, grinning as he got to his feet. "Good morning, you two! Want pancakes? I bet you slept well last night!"

"Dorian!" Selina chided, her eyes wide. She reached out to slap his arm, but he deftly moved out of the way. "Don't you tease them!"

"I wasn't teasing," Dorian corrected. "I was just saying 'Good morning'. No harm in that is there?"

"Not when we were prepared for it," Arthur told his father, putting some pancakes on his plate and then handing two over to Lily. "And we slept fine, thank you very much."

"That's good!" Selina grinned and gave a little squeal. "So happy the two of you are friends again. I hoped you would make up."

"Oh, darling, they're more than friends," Dorian started up again. "Isn't that obvious?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't want to point it out," Selina whispered. Then, she smiled at Arthur and Lily. "Do either of you want coffee?"

"I'll take a cup, thank you," Lily replied and then took a bite of pancake. "Then, after I finish, I should get home because I'm not sure my parents know I'm here."

"They should," Arthur tried to assure her. "I left a note on your pillow before we headed out."

"It's a start, but I'm not sure it will put Daddy completely at ease," Lily told him.

"Isn't that nice?" Dorian grinned. "They both just got overcome by their hormones and couldn't even wait until morning to come over here."

"Dad, stop!" Arthur blushed while Lily looked away. "You're making us uncomfortable!"

"Stop it, Dorian," Selina requested of him. "Or else they might leave and never come back."

So Dorian behaved himself for the rest of breakfast and just made polite conversation, which made everyone else very happy.

* * *

It was as Lily was helping Arthur clear the dishes that she got the phone call she'd been dreading.

"Lily, what are you doing with Arthur?" Elijah asked.

"I left a note," She told him. "What are you mad for?"

"I thought you two weren't getting along," Elijah pointed out. "I had plans! Things were going so well!"

"I'm sorry but you'll just have to put those aside for the moment cause Arthur and I are good now," Lily remarked. "I'll be home when I get done with breakfast, okay? Goodbye." She didn't wait to hear her father's response before she turned off the phone and sat back down at the table.

"How much trouble are you in?" Selina asked.

"Not much," Lily shook her head. "Or any. Dad's just sad that all the big plans he made in light of Arthur and me fighting are going to waste."

"Good for you for standing up for yourself," Selina told her. "Trust me, I know from experience with your dad that you have to do that. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Lily as Arthur put his arm around her. "May I have another cup of coffee, please?"

* * *

"Hey!" Josh cried as instead of just nicely bringing him some food, Sarah threw his water in his face and stuffed his burger in his mouth. "What did you do that for?"

"I realized that I've been a little too friendly lately," Sarah told him with a smile. "I want to make sure there's the appropriate distance between us."

Josh took the burger out of his mouth, took a bite, and then looked at the low cut top that was only slightly hidden by her apron. "I like that top," he said. "It really shows off your assets. Did you wear that because you knew that you were going to see me?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "I like this shirt. That's all." She paused, "And you're a pig, did you know that?"

"Okay, I know it's not fair," he admitted. "Would you like to judge _my_ assets?" He pulled off his shirt to show chiseled abs. "What do you think, babe?"

"They're fine," Sarah said, trying to keep an air of nonchalance even though she was really enjoying the view, even though she would never tell him that. "I've seen better, though."

"Really? Whose?" Josh asked, putting his shirt down and looking wounded.

"Why are you asking? What does it matter?" Sarah questioned.

"Cause it just matters!" Josh replied, blustering a bit before he got the words out.

"Ah," Sarah nodded. "All right. "I would eat your burger before it gets too cold if I were you. Cause if you don't like it, I'm not allowed to bring you another one."

"But you would, if I asked you to, right?" Josh said. "You seem like a good person."

"Look, I don't know you well enough to take that sort of risk," Sarah replied. "And I can't be fired. I need this job because I have a kid to support, okay? See you later." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving Josh struck speechless.

* * *

After Sarah headed back to the snack bar, Josh was left alone for about half an hour before someone he'd never seen before came to visit him.

"Who are you?" He asked. "What's your name? What do you want with me?"

"You don't have to be scared of me," the young man said, giving him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm Christian. I think…I think we're brothers."

Josh chuckled. "If we have a common father, I'm sorry. He's really a piece of work if you don't know him yet."

"No, we've met," Christian told him. "I apparently spoke to him in ways he'd never been spoken to before and when I asked if he was gonna kill me, he said 'No' because I was more competent than my brother and he could use competence right now."

"Yep, that sounds like him," Josh nodded. "Shit, you make one mistake and you're the black sheep for the rest of your life."

"You want me to put in a good word for you?" Christian offered.

"Thanks, but you don't have to bother," Josh replied. "Dad wouldn't believe you anyway."

"Are you sure?" Christian asked. "What did you do that was so bad anyway?"

"I screwed up his plans," Josh said. "I was supposed to kidnap this girl and use her as bait to draw out a guy Dad wanted to kill, but she was tougher than I thought and she got away."

"And he was hard on you for _that_?" Christian sighed. "I'm sorry. My other dad wasn't exactly happy when I wouldn't kill my fiancée and put a spell on me so I would kill her instead."

"Why would your dad want you to kill your fiancée?" Josh wanted to know.

"Because he has issues with her dad and they've been rivals for a while," Christian sighed. "Her dad and her brothers hurt me, and when I told my dad, he said, "Well, let's teach them a lesson by having his pregnant daughter be killed."

"Damn," Josh's eyes widened. "I feel sorry for you. He makes our dad sound nice."

"Yeah," Christian sighed. "But at least Jill and I were able to make up and our daughter ended up not being dead. That's good."

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "I bet."

"You want me to help you out of there so you can walk around?" Christian offered.

"Thanks," Josh smiled as Christian began to work the lock. "There's not a lot of room to stretch your legs in this cage. I appreciate it."

"No problem," Christian replied and opened the cage door. "It's my pleasure. You're not gonna get caught, are you?"

"No," Josh shook his head. "My keepers are bringing other people in now. It's the busy time of day. They've got bigger things to worry about than me."

* * *

"Okay," Annalynne said as she herded in some more blue demons, locked them up, and then went to Klaus, who was sitting at a table and staring at a clipboard. "I brought some more demons."

"All right," Klaus nodded and got out his clipboard to make note of them. Once all their names and other pertinent information were written down, he kept an eye on the hoard of demons while AnnaLynne went to report this latest bunch to her father.

"How many do you think they'll be?" Dorian asked. "It won't be too many, I hope."

"However many there are, between Klaus and me, we can handle it," AnnaLynne promised him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry, Daddy. Wanna come and see the new bunch?"

"I have a meeting in five minutes, but I think I have time to come and introduce myself," Dorian replied. "Just let me go get Jim."

"I think he left for lunch," AnnaLynne told her father. "But don't worry. If you're concerned about being attacked, I'm sure Klaus will have your back."

"That's good," Dorian nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm glad he's around."

"Wait here," AnnaLynne said. "Let me go get him before you go near anyone we brought." She went and got Klaus, who stood a few steps behind Dorian as they made their way to the demon holding area.

"Is it particularly tough bunch?" Dorian whispered to Klaus. "Do I need to watch myself?"

"I would," Klaus whispered back. "Don't spend a lot of time staring at them, and if you have to talk, make it brief."

Dorian nodded and they went in to face the new arrivals. Most of them were blue ones, so on the surface, they didn't look threatening at all, but just to be safe, Dorian heeded Klaus' advice, kept his words brief, and stayed close to Klaus. "I'm sure you all know why you're here," he said. "And even though you might think otherwise, this is not meant to be a punishment for your imprudent actions against humans and people of other species. It's a way for you to adjust to being here. Fitting in is important cause we're not going anywhere else. We're not going back to the prison where we were held for so long. Would you want that?"

There were mutters and groans and a few demons shook their heads.

"I thought not," Dorian replied. "Now, I want you to listen to AnnaLynne and Klaus here because all they want is to help you. Please understand that. They want you to be successful living here. Don't make it more difficult for them than it needs to be. Good luck."

"Are you finished?" Klaus whispered as Dorian stepped away from the crowd. "I would be finished if I were you."

"Yeah, I'm done," Dorian nodded as AnnaLynne escorted him back to his office. "Don't worry."


	26. With This Ring

"I have a present for you," Rodan told Katherine. He was grinning in a way that showed his teeth.

"Oh, another present?" Katherine asked, her face lit up. "I don't deserve it!"

Rodan paused and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sick? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I was trying to be modest," she explained. "But I still want the bracelet. I never said I didn't want it. Let me have it!"

So Rodan locked a ruby bracelet much like Selina's on her wrist. "There," he said with satisfaction. "Isn't it pretty?" Then he got out another one and put it on himself.

"Why do we have matching bracelets?" Katherine asked.

"Why not?" Rodan shrugged. "Are you saying a man can't like jewelry?" He wouldn't tell her that they were basically married now that the bracelet was on her wrist. He'd keep that to himself.

"This is really pretty," Katherine remarked and looked it over. "Where do you get something like this? The mall?"

"No, I had it specially made," Rodan told her.

"Oh?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Really? I guess I should be flattered that you're going to all that trouble for me."

"It's not bother, really," he said and took her in his arms. "I promise."

Katherine then felt her whole wrist become hot as the rubies on the bracelet glowed bright red. "Well, that's a fun trick," she remarked. "Why is it doing that?"

"Oh, well…it's a special quality of the stones used," Rodan told her. "It's nothing to worry about. It won't be hot like that forever."

"Ah," Katherine nodded. "Okay, good."

"Do you like it?" Rodan wanted to know. "I hope you do."

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "It's beautiful!"

"Good," Rodan grinned to himself. "I'm so glad. That's very good to hear."

* * *

"So he just _gave_ you this bracelet?" Elizabeth asked when Katherine showed it to her. "Really? Well, it's lovely. I'd keep a close eye on it if I were you. Put it somewhere safe. Not that you need me to tell you that."

"No, that's okay," Katherine replied. "It's good, sound advice." She then noticed that her daughter was wearing a diamond necklace. "Is that new?" She asked. "When did you get it?"

"Charlie gave it to me yesterday," Elizabeth smiled and took it off so that her mother could have a better look. "Isn't it lovely? I'm never taking it off."

As Katherine was looking it over, the door opened and Elizabeth's husband Charlie strode into the house, his blue eyes tired and his dark hair ruffled.

"Oh, hello, Katherine," he said with a smile when he saw her. "Nice to see you. Am I interrupting anything?"

"No," Katherine shook her head and gave him a smile. "My daughter was just showing me the necklace you got her. You have _very_ good taste."

"Thanks," Charlie smiled. "I'm glad you approve."

He sat down in the recliner and let out a breath. "Oh, it's not even noon and it's been a long day."

"Sorry to hear that," Elizabeth said, coming up behind him and rubbing his shoulders. "What's going on?"

"Coming up with original ideas for cards is so hard sometimes," Charlie told her. "And I locked my keys in my car, then I rear-ended someone on accident and spilled my coffee in my lap. It's not been a good morning."

"Sorry," Elizabeth repeated. "Why don't you go change your pants and then I'll get you a coffee and we'll see if we can't find someone to fix your car. Would you have time for that?"

"Yeah, if the person you find is a magical person," Charlie nodded. "That would be great!"

"I think we can manage that," Elizabeth said, glad that she had decided to take the day off and let her staff manage things.

After Charlie changed his pants and had his coffee, Elizabeth told her mother, "We're gonna go find someone to deal with Charlie's car. You can stay here if you want. It was lovely to see you."

"I know, I feel the same," Katherine smiled and got to her feet. "This is a perfect time for me to get on my way too. I don't want Rodan to think I've disappeared and come looking for me."

"You really think he would do that?" Elizabeth asked, eyebrow raised.

"I don't know," Katherine shrugged. "Maybe."

* * *

When Katherine got home, Rodan smiled and took her hand, leading her to the living room. "You want to hear more about that bracelet?" He asked, sitting her on his lap. "I think you'd find it very interesting."

"You mean there's more to it than it just being a big fancy ring that you had specially made with a giant, fat ruby on it?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," Rodan nodded, "These rings…in the demon world, they're symbols of great power."

"They are, huh?" Katherine grinned. "So only the best people get them?"

"Yes," Rodan nodded. "My sworn rival and the woman he's living with have them. Common demons have another stone on their rings."

"You mean you're not the most powerful of all?" Katherine asked. "You know, we could fix that. I'm not afraid to kill people if I have to."

"And perhaps we will someday," he smiled at her. "But it's too soon now. We just have to be patient."

"Patience is not a virtue of mine," Katherine said. "So I hope we don't have to wait too long."

"Oh, I agree with you," Rodan replied and played with her curls. "I could not agree with you more."

* * *

While Rodan dealt with Katherine, his younger son was working out how to deal with having a new parent in his life.

"Did you know that I had a demon parent?" Christian raged at John. "Were you ever gonna mention that to me, or was I always gonna be kept in the dark?"

"Well, I think it would have been obvious to you that you had to have a demon parent _somewhere_ ," John shouted. "Cause neither your mother nor I are demons, are we? Or are you just stupid?"

"Now you're turning this on me?" Christian yelled. "Fine, you know what? Maybe it's good this happened. Cause you've always been a lousy father and I'm glad I have another one to run off to."

That remark took things too far. John looked as if he'd been punched in the gut and when Christian looked up, his heart sank when he noticed a shocked Freya standing just inside the doorway.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I-I didn't mean to say that. It just popped out."

"You _did_ mean it," John sighed and got up. "And you're right. I'm sorry. Maybe you'll be better off with Rodan. Who knows?" He seemed like he was struggling to keep a straight face. His body was shaking. Christian had never seen his father like this before. And when Freya came and put her hand on his arm, she spoke.

"Do you feel that way about me too, Christian?"

"No," Christian shook his head as Freya turned on her heel and strode out of the room. "Mom, I didn't mean…when I said…I wasn't talking about you!"

"Give it up, son," John told him wearily. "The words came out. She heard them. Now she needs to be left alone for a while before you talk to her again."

"Do you think she'll ever want to talk to me again?" Christian asked. "Or have I blown it?"

"Don't overthink," John said with a smile, reaching out to put a hand on his son's. "If she can forgive me for all I've done, I'm sure she'll let you make up for this."

There was a silence between them as Christian looked around his father's office, which was full of leather and heavy wood furniture. He sat down in a leather recliner and said, "I suppose that as long as I'm making apologies, I should apologize to you too."

"Oh, you don't have to," John sighed. "You didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"Maybe, but…now that it's all out…now that I've expressed it, do you think we could start over?" Christian asked. "Please? If you want to make things better, if you really feel bad about how things have been between us before, I'd hate to waste that."

John looked up. "Well, of course I would love to…if you believe I can."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Ingrid stuck her head in. "Daddy, it's time for my-" When she saw Christian, she paused and stepped back. "I was going to say that it's time for my piano lesson, but I suppose it can wait. I don't need to do it now."

"No, it's okay, Ingrid," Christian assured her. "I think we're done for now."

"Ah," Ingrid nodded. "Okay." Christian opened his mouth to speak again, but she stopped him. "You're not gonna make some remark about how big I've gotten, right? Cause I hate it when people do that."

"No," Christian said, even though that was exactly what he would have said. "Of course not. I just…it's nice to see you. I know we haven't been around each other much, but since I'm building up relationships here…would you want to be?"

"Sure," Ingrid nodded. "Why not? But I'm seeing this guy Ben and he's kind of crazy, just to warn you."

"Yes, keep your eye on him," John agreed. "He's gotten the best of me twice. I hate him for it."

"All right," Christian nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. See you later." He then went to the library to read for a bit before finally deciding to go and talk to his mother and apologize for what he'd said. If she'd let him, that is.

* * *

"Can we talk?" he questioned as he stood in the doorway of his parents' bedroom. His mother was in there alone and she had her back to him as she looked out the window.

"Sure," Freya replied without turning. "I'm surprised you even want to speak to me, though. Are you going to yell at me like you did your father?"

"No," Christian promised. "I made things up with Dad. Explained what happened. Why I said what I said and that I was sorry…and I didn't mean to hurt you either. Can I…" He came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Can I have a hug from the only woman I'll ever consider my mother? Please?"

Freya turned and gave him a long hard stare before she realized how serious he was and let him fall into her arms as he squeezed her tight. "I love you, Mom," he said. "Do you…do you love me too? Will you help me get through all this?"

"Yes," Freya nodded as she hugged him and kissed his hair. "This is all so crazy that we'll only get through it if we stick together."

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more," Christian told her. "But I also have to wonder if we're not blowing my other father's whole thing out of proportion. I mean, he let me yell at him and get away with it. I think I can handle him."

"I would be careful about that if I were you. I wouldn't push your luck," Freya warned. "Not that I'm telling you how to run your life. If you think you can handle him, I won't try and stop you, but…please be careful. Who knows what he could do to people who yell at him?"

* * *

"Hey!" Katherine said, roughly shaking a sleeping Rodin awake. "Hey, I need to talk to you!"

"What?" Rodan asked sleepily. "What is so important that you had to wake me up? Just come to bed and we'll deal with it in the morning."

"No, now!" Katherine cried and hit him with a pillow. "You have some explaining to do!"

"Why?" Rodan sat up. "What have I done?"

"There's something wrong with this ring, isn't there?" She asked, holding her hand out to him. "I can't get it off! Is it some kind of trap? You tricked me, didn't you? What's going on?"

"It's not a trap," Rodan told her. "I promise. It's nothing but a pretty piece of jewelry."

"If that's all it was, I think I would be able to remove it!" Katherine cried and pulled at it. "But I can't! See?" In fact, the more she pulled, the tighter it got.

"Well, why would you want to take it off?" Rodan asked. "Is it not pretty enough?"

"No," Katherine shook her head. "I just…I feel weird sleeping in something this fancy. So can I take it off or not?"

"No," Rodan shook his head. "You'll just have to live with it being always on your finger. You can do that. Would it make you feel better about it if I reminded you how powerful it was?"

Katherine growled, feeling very odd for wearing shorts and an old t-shirt with the ring making a magnificent contrast. "I guess it will and I'll have to, won't I?" She said and climbed into bed with Rodan, avoiding his attempt to kiss her, and then reaching up to turn off the light over their bed.


	27. Unhappily Married

"Why can't I take this off?" Katherine yelled the next morning as she stared in the bathroom mirror after brushing her teeth. "Why?"

"I thought you understood that that bracelet is a thing of power and that's why you wouldn't take it off," Rodan said, coming up behind her and putting his arms around her waist. "I thought we talked about this."

"I'm not going to take it off and throw it in the trash or anything like that," Katherine told him. "It's just…it's very weird to know that I can't. Is there a reason? Tell me why!"

"You'll find out in time," Rodan told her. "Now, do you want to shower first, or can we just go together?"

"I want to go by myself today," Katherine told him. "Maybe the warm water will loosen this thing up!"

"It's not going to work!" Rodan called after her as she undressed, turned on the shower, and went in.

"What?" She called. "The spray is so loud that I can't hear you!"

"You won't be able to get the ring off with…" He paused and then shook his head. Why was he bothering? It wasn't like she was going to listen anyway, and if he had to be honest, it was more fun to watch her struggle.

He undressed and then sat on their bed, waiting for her to finish. When she turned the water off, he grinned to himself and went to stand on the other side of the door so that he would be the first thing she saw when she came out.

He waited and waited, and then, to his surprise, when the door opened, she was naked too. They stared at each other for a long moment, then grabbed each other and kissed hungrily. "What?" He asked when he finally paused to get a breath. "No towel? Do you not believe in them?"

"I believe in them just as much as you do," she told him, her gaze sweeping down his body. "Which is to say…not very much!" Then she asked, "So are we just going to stand here, or are you going to go and shower?"

"Well, I don't see what the rush is," he told her as he pulled her close, kissing her dark head before running his hands down her arms and back before cupping her bottom. "Now I have something else I would like to do first."

"Of course," Kathrine grinned, "I knew what would be in your head the second I stepped out of the bathroom without a towel." She ran her palms down his unshaven cheeks and chin and a shiver went through her body. "Do you ever think of shaving?" She asked.

"No, should I?" He questioned.

"Don't," she shook her head and kissed him again as he picked her up, carried her to bed, and buried himself inside her over and over again.

* * *

When they were both panting with exhaustion and Katherine had her arms around Rodan's neck, he said, "You know, I think I ought to go take a cold shower."

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. Would you mind if I came with you?"

"No," Rodan shook his head and got out of bed, waiting for her to follow. "Of course if you want to join me, I'm not going to refuse you."

"Good," Katherine nodded and began pulling at the bracelet again. "Are you positive that there's no way to get this off?"

"I didn't say there was no way to get it off if you absolutely need to," Rodan told her. "Just that it won't come off by pulling."

"But there _is_ a way to remove it?" Katherine confirmed.

"Yeah," Rodan nodded, "There is."

"All right, I think I can relax now," she told him, taking a deep breath. "Let's take that shower."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Rodan replied.

* * *

It was a nice day, so when they were both washed and dressed and had eaten, Rodan suggested they go out and walk around. He told her that they lived in a community made up mainly of demons and it would do her some good to explore it.

"All right," Katherine nodded. "But I don't see how this is different from any other neighborhood." From where she looked out the window, the houses, lawns, and streets all looked the same.

They left the house and began walking around and as they did that, Katherine noticed something strange: every time someone would pass them, they would smile and congratulate her. One woman even gave her a hug and, with tears in her eyes, told her how lucky she was.

"What is she talking about?" Katherine whispered to Rodan once the woman was gone. "What's she mean? Why is she telling me that I'm lucky?"

"Well, you're with me, so what else would she say?" Rodan questioned. "Would you relax?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed. "I feel like there's something going on here that I don't know. What is it?"

"Don't ask me what's going on in your head," Rodan shrugged.

Katherine then rolled her eyes and let a growl escape her throat, her good mood from just a few minutes earlier quickly evaporating because she knew Rodan was hiding something from her, but she didn't know what it was.

"I think I've had enough fresh air for the time being," she told him, her voice stiff. "I'd like to go back to your house if that's all right with you."

"All right, but I'm not going to be there for long," Rodan told her. "I have an errand to run."

"What kind of an errand?" Katherine asked in spite of herself. She didn't care what he was doing. He could do whatever he wanted and it wouldn't matter to her, not one bit. "Are you going to cause trouble?"

"I'm doing some reconnaissance," he informed her. "I think you should come too."

"Why?" Katherine asked.

"I just think you should," Rodan replied and grabbed her hand. "Come with me and don't ask questions."

"Why are you being so bossy?" Katherine asked. "I don't really appreciate your tone."

"Oh, all right," Rodan rolled his eyes. "Would you please come on my errand with me? I would appreciate your company and it would really mean a lot. Please?"

"Well, since you said 'please'," Katherine nodded. "All right. I'll come with you."

"Excellent," Rodan grinned. "Let's go."

* * *

"Who lives here?" Katherine asked when they stopped in front of the building where Dorian and Selina's penthouse was. "You have a friend? I had no idea!"

"No, actually this is the building where my most hated rival lives," Rodan told her as they made their way inside. "His name is Dorian and I just found out he finally committed himself to a woman. I need to see what we're up against. Cause he and this woman will be the thorns in our sides for the rest of time and we need to figure out how to be several steps ahead of them."

"All right, good," Katherine nodded. She knocked on the door and waited for some scary demon to answer. Then the door opened and she gasped, nearly falling backwards into Rodan's arms. Cause it wasn't a demon who answered the door. It was Selina!

"What are the odds that my rival would live with your rival?" Katherine asked Rodan.

"That's friendly," Selina said in a sarcastic way. "But I'm going to let you come in anyway. However, before you do, can I ask you want?"

"I…" Katherine began. Then she saw Selina's hand. And on her wrist, the same bracelet she wore. "You have one too!" She said. "Rodan says only powerful demons get it."

"Yeah, when they're married," Selina nodded. "At least in a sense. When did it happen for you guys?"

Katherine heard this and her jaw dropped. "Are you…did you say the bracelet meant that Rodan and I are _married?_ "

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No," Katherine said through her teeth as she turned around and glared at him. "He neglected to mention that. And I guess now I know why."

"Well, if you want to talk about it, you can come in," Selina offered graciously.

"All right," Katherine nodded. "Thank you." She stepped through the door, but as soon as she was inside, she slammed the door in Rodan's face and he was left out in the hallway.

"Hey!" He called. "Let me in! I want to be part of this discussion!"

"Not now you're not!" Katherine called back. "You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie!" Rodan corrected. "I just withheld information."

"Cause you knew if you told me the truth, I wouldn't do what you wanted," Katherine called back. "You're so transparent, Rodan!"

Just then, the door opened and Selina ushered him inside. "I think if the two of you are going to keep shouting like this, it would be best for you to come in so we don't bother the neighbors."

"You don't have any neighbors," Katherine pointed out. "This is the top floor!"

"Well, just get inside, okay?" Selina asked Rodan curtly. "Please?"

"All right," Rodan said while Katherine let out a groan. She had hoped Selina would keep him in the hallway. He looked Selina over and wondered what in the world Dorian was thinking, committing to a woman like this. She seemed like she would be so easy to overpower. He wasn't worried at all. "Is Dorian here?" He asked her once she'd offered him a drink.

"No, he's at the office," Selina explained. "How do you know him?"

"I'm…I'm an old friend, I guess you could say," Rodan told her, while Katherine, on the other side of the room, rolled her eyes. "My name's Rodan."

"Do you want me to tell him you're here right now, or do you want it to wait?" Selina asked.

"Oh, it can wait," Rodan told her. "I don't need to see him now. Getting to know you is such a pleasure!"

"You too!" Selina told him as she gave him a forced smile. "An absolute pleasure." Then she went to the kitchen to pour herself some coffee, wondering what she should do. Cause if this guy was with Katherine, she had a strong sense that he was _no_ friend of Dorian's. She drank her coffee and heard a yell and a crash from the living room, followed by the slamming of the door.

When she rushed back, Katherine was gone and Rodan was sitting alone in the living room with a black eye and a fat lip. "Where'd Katherine go?" She asked.

"She went out to the car," Rodan replied. "Apparently, the thought of us getting married has made her be overwhelmed with emotion."

"Clearly," Selina nodded. "Do you need some ice?"

"No," Rodan winced, moving his hand. The sight of his eye made Selina suck in her breath. "No, thanks, I'm fine." He picked up some pieces of a dark blue vase and put them on the sofa next to him. "I hope this didn't mean a lot to you, because it broke when she hit me over the head with it."

"Well, I don't know," Selina shrugged. "But it's not like we can do anything about it now. If Dorian misses it, I suppose he can always get another one."


	28. Losing My Patience

"You had a friend stop by," Selina told Dorian later in the day. "Actually, I doubt he was a friend. Anyone who brings along my greatest rival is _not_ a friend. Right? Guy named Rodan? Dark eyes, unkempt beard?"

Dorian's eyes widened. "He was here? Did you let him in?"

"Well, yes, and I know I shouldn't have, but he and Katherine were yelling at each other and I didn't want to disturb anyone," Selina sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Did he break the vase?" Dorian questioned.

"No, that was Katherine," Selina replied. "She got mad at him because he tricked her and put a bracelet like mine on her wrist without telling her what it was for and broke the vase over his head before storming out of here."

"Oh, well," Dorian gave a little grin. "I suppose it gave itself to a worthy cause then. I like this Katherine. Is she really as bad as you say?"

"Well, I'll concede that she's improved over the years, but I'd be an idiot not to be at least a little wary around her," Selina replied. "She's very sneaky, that one."

"Yes, but if her being sneaky helps us rather than hurts us, is that really a problem?" Dorian questioned.

"Katherine never does anything for anyone," Selina told him. "The person she's really and truly interested in helping is herself. And at this point, it just so happens that she hates Rodan and wants to piss him off. Don't mistake that as her being sympathetic to us."

"Well, all right," Dorian nodded. "I promise I'll keep that in mind." Then he took her in his arms and looked into her eyes. "I need more details about your meeting. Did he say anything? Did he want to meet me?"

"Of course he did," Selina nodded. "Why else would he come over here? Not just to see me, that's for sure."

"Maybe he did," Dorian told her. "Maybe he found out I've embarked on a new relationship and wanted to see what you were like. He's done it before."

"What?" Selina asked. "Been interested in the same woman as you?"

"Yes," Dorian nodded, his eyes narrowed as he thought of Eric's mother, the woman who'd come between him and Rodan, who he'd once thought of as a friend. "Exactly."

"I don't think you have to worry about him stealing me," Selina told him. "I won't fall for his nonsense and even if I _was_ vulnerable to that sort of thing, Katherine would make sure that she kept him all for herself."

"But I thought she hated him," Dorian told her. "Wouldn't it make sense for her to see his attraction to you as a perfect way to get rid of him?"

"You would think so," Selina nodded. "But for Katherine, nothing and no one is more attractive than when they are unavailable to her, even if she hated them before."

"What a strange woman," Dorian sighed.

"Yeah," Selina scoffed. "Tell me about it."

"I should probably go see what Rodan wants," Dorian decided. "If I wait much longer to go see him, he might come over here again and I don't want that."

"Would you like me to come too?" Selina offered. "I think he and I had a good rapport, and if it would make things easier…"

"You're very sweet, but no," Dorian shook his head. "I need to be an adult about this. I need to learn how to handle Rodan on my own."

"Don't start any fights with him," Selina requested. "Come home to me in one piece. I'd really appreciate that."

"All right," Dorian smiled and planted a big kiss on her before letting her go and giving her a wink. "I'll keep that in mind, I promise." He put his hand on the door and then turned to face her again. "I'll be back in an hour, I promise."

"Sounds good," Selina nodded. "And if you're not back in two, I'll send a search party."

"It's always good to have a backup plan," Dorian told her. "Goodbye, darling."

"Goodbye!" Selina called as he made his way out the door of the penthouse and down the hallway. "Good luck!"

* * *

"You came alone?" Rodan asked, his face twisting when he saw that Dorian was on his doorstep alone. "I hoped your wife would come with you."

"Why would I bring her?" Dorian questioned. "She's not involved in any of this yet. She offered to come, but I told her I would rather face you by myself."

"I just wanted to have a little more conversation with her," Rodan gave him a grin. "She was a real joy."

"Well, I wasn't intending to stick around to _have_ a real long conversation," Dorian told him and elbowed his way into the house. "Now, what did you want? Tell me so I can leave."

"I just wondered what your plan was now that you have a new wife and a son," Rodan said. "Is he the next in line to rule over all of us?"

"You mean 'is he the one I'm going to have to kill to take power for myself'?" Dorian pointed out. "I know what your game is."

"I'm surprised that I'm the one you're worried about when it comes to that," Rodan grinned. "I'd be more worried about your ex-wife. She won't be happy Eric is being tossed aside." He paused. "I mean, you have to worry about me too, I suppose. But I'm not your biggest problem. Remember that."

"More problems," Dorian ran his hand through his hair. "Yay."

This made Rodan chuckle. "You mean you didn't think about how she would take your being remarried? Having another child to replace hers in the line of succession?"

"Well, Eric seems to be taking it well," Dorian pointed out. "He has plans of his own for what he wants to do with his wife and his life and I'm sure he told his mother about them, so she has no reason to worry."

"Oh, dear," Rodan put a hand on his former friend's shoulder. "Either you're stupid or you've completely forgotten what she's really like," he said. "Because I still remember and no matter what you do, no matter what Eric tells her, Sibyl has her plans for him and won't be dissuaded from them."

"Of course I've forgotten about Sibyl," Dorian nodded. "It took me years and years and when the last memory of her was buried deep in the recesses of my mind, it was a blessing. Once she left me for you, it was a fucking blessing."

"Yes," Rodan grinned fondly. "It certainly was."

Dorian then narrowed his eyes and gave Rodan a push. "You bastard!" He told him. "Why did you have to say that? I've been trying so hard not to start a fight with you and you're making that very difficult!"

Rodan punched Dorian in the nose. "Oh, don't do that," he said. "Don't act like you care about Sibyl anymore. You haven't given a shit about her for years!"

"It doesn't mean that what you two did didn't hurt me at the time you did it," Dorian replied. "How you could betray me like that…it was low, even for you! We were happy until you ruined things and couldn't keep your lustful feelings for yourself!"

"Me?" Rodan replied. "You're blaming me alone for all this? What about Sibyl? She's no innocent! She was just as much a part of the affair as I was. Go be mad at her!"

"Oh, I am," Dorian replied, his face turning red and his hands balling into fists as an image of his blue-eyed, blonde wife appeared in front of his eyes and her laughter, like broken glass, sounded in his ears. "I've been mad at her for years. And now I remember how mad I am at you."

"Fine, leave," Rodan replied and picked Dorian up by his collar, pinning him against the door, punching him in the face, and then throwing him out the front door and onto the pavement before locking the front door behind him. "No one said you had to stay. Goodbye!"

* * *

After Dorian headed back home, Rodan didn't have even a moment of peace before he heard lots of banging and crashing. "Oh, damn," he muttered under his breath and ran in the direction of it, meeting Katherine along the way. She had two suitcases under her arms.

"Damn, why are you here?" She asked. "I was hoping to sneak away while you were fighting with Dorian!"

"Why are you leaving?" Rodan asked.

"Because I don't want to be married to you!" Katherine cried. "When you just wanted to have sex with me, that was one thing, but I can't be your wife and bear your children."

"Why not?" Rodan questioned.

"Cause I'm a vampire and I can't," Katherine said. "So if you want that, you'll have to pick someone else."

"No, I don't," Rodan told her. "Once you become a demon, you'll be able to have children like you can't now." He began pulling at her suitcases, but she clung just as tightly. "Give me those," he said through his teeth. "You're not leaving."

"Yes I am!" Katherine nodded and gave another tug.

But Rodan was stronger and pulled the bags away with such force that Katherine fell on her bottom as her things were thrown against the wall and fell to the floor. "Hey!" She cried. "Will you be careful with my stuff? I could have had breakable things in there!"

"Oh, stop!" Rodan told her. The fight with Dorian had put him in a very bad mood and he wasn't in the mood to listen to her whining. "You aren't leaving. If you do, you just know you're going to get bored and come back like before, so let's save you a step, shall we?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't leave?" Katherine cried.

"All right," Rodan nodded, grabbing her and kissing her as he unzipped his pants, pulled up her skirt, and pulled down her panties and slipped inside her, pushing into her over and over again as Katherine clung to him and moaned his name. "You had to do this, didn't you?" She panted. "Why? Why couldn't you have done other things first?"

"Cause I know you well enough to know this works," he said as she moaned and licked her bottom lip while he nibbled on her ear. "It's working, isn't it? You don't want to leave, do you?"

"If you don't mind me just liking you for your body," Katherine replied. "That doesn't bother you, does it?"

"No," Rodan shook his head. "Anything to make you stay." He then kissed her again and she lapsed into silence until she was so tired that he finally pulled out of her and she had to have him hold her up and carry her to bed.

"You want me to unpack for you?" He asked her as he tucked her in. "It's the least a husband can do for his wife."

"I'll make you a deal," Katherine replied. "You _never_ refer to me as your wife out loud and I won't leave again, all right? That's not a difficult request, is it?"

"Yes it is," Rodan told her. "I don't agree. I have a wife and you are going to bear my children."

"No, thank you," Katherine shook her head and closed her eyes. "That'll make me fat and then you'll get bored and cheat on me. I'm not gonna like that, Rodan."

"You don't know that that will happen," Rodan replied. "If I ever leave you, it will be because of your less than pleasant personality. Not because you're fat."

"It still doesn't make any difference," Katherine told him, burying her face in her pillow. "I'm not having children with you, even when or if I can. I just don't want to. And unfortunately, you can't use sex to change my mind this time."

"Maybe not," Rodan replied, playing with her hair and giving her a spank. "But I'll think of another way to convince you. I promise you that."


	29. If You Want To Be Happy

While Dorian dealt with Rodan, Selina tried her best to keep out of it unless she was asked for help, and something happened very quickly that gave her a way to occupy her time. She came into the club one day, and was drinking and dancing to the music when all of a sudden, a shriek rang out in the darkness.

Everyone then went silent as the lights came on and the music stopped.

"Sorry," Leslie apologized as she and Sam came into the bar. He had his arm around her and she was waddling. "I just…my water broke and I was a little surprised. I didn't mean to ruin anyone's good time. We'll turn the music back on now."

"Do you need me to come with you to the hospital?" Selina asked, getting to her feet. "Would that be helpful?"

"Yes," Leslie nodded and gritted her teeth. "You can help me figure out what to call my son so that we don't have three Sams running around the house."

"I thought you said you were _okay_ with calling him Sam, Jr.!" Sam replied.

"I am, but if he doesn't also have a nickname, how are you going to be able to tell the difference between you and him, huh?" Leslie asked.

"That's a very good point," Sam admitted. "I can't believe I didn't think of that before now."

"Well, that's why I'm here to make sure you realized it," Leslie smiled and squeezed his hand as her body was wracked with another contraction.

* * *

When they got to the hospital and had checked Leslie in, Selina asked Sam, "Do you want me to call your father and Annie? Or wait for that until this is all over?"

"No, call them now, please!" Sam replied after consulting with his wife.

"Okay, I will," Selina reassured him. She then grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and went into a little side hallway, punching in Damon's number and hoping he would pick up, which he did immediately.

"Do I have to ask what you're calling about?" He questioned. "Or is Leslie finally having our grandkid?"

"She is," Selina nodded. "And she and Sam want you and Annie down here if you're able to come."

"Yes, we've been able to come for a _long_ time," Damon told her. "If you'll give me the address of the hospital, we'll be there ASAP."

So she did and then went to the room where Leslie had been set up they're on their way," she announced. "It shouldn't take them too long to get here."

"Good," Sam said. "Cause I don't know how long the baby will wait."

* * *

But she was still in labor when Damon and Annie made their way to the hospital room with balloons and a teddy bear.

"How are you doing?" Annie asked her sister.

"I'm in horrible pain, but okay otherwise," Leslie remarked and gritted her teeth. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," Annie smiled and wiped the sweat off her sister's forehead. "There's no way we would miss this. You been here a while?"

"Probably not as long as I think," Leslie remarked. "But long enough."

"I have to get something from the car," Sam said. "Everything going to be all right here while I'm gone?"

"Yeah," Leslie nodded. "I'll be fine. You can go."

Sam nodded and gave her a quick kiss before running out to his car and grabbing a bag out of the backseat. He would have grabbed it before, but he'd been so focused on getting Leslie where she needed to be that he'd told himself he'd come back for it later. In the bag was a portable CD player with Hall and Oates' greatest hits in it along with headphones. Sam thought that that would be a good distraction for her.

"Here you go," he told her as he came in the room and put the headphones over her ears, "This should distract you until the baby comes out."

"Let me see," Damon remarked and pressed the button to open the player. "Hall and Oates? Well, that's unexpected."

"They're our band," Sam explained. "Weird choice for people our age, I know, but there you go."

Leslie shut her eyes as the music washed over her and it seemed like no time at all before she was brought back to reality and being told by Annie and Sam that the doctor had arrived and it was time for her to push. "Really?" She asked. "Already?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded.

He stopped the music and removed her headphones and then Leslie was hit with pain again.

"Yep," she nodded and let out a grunt. "It's time." She gave a couple of strong pushes and soon the baby was out. "Good, thank god, that's over with," she panted and fell back on the pillow. She lay with her eyes closed for a few seconds, trying to catch her breath while Sam held his son, and then she sat up and he handed the baby to her.

"He's so small!" She remarked with a grin.

"He's gonna get bigger," Sam said.

"So we're calling him Sam, Jr." Leslie got out for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I think so."

"Actually, he would be Sam the third," Damon told him. "Are you sure it's a good idea to give your son the same name as both you _and_ the dog?"

"Maybe you could call him by his middle name for things not to get confusing," Selina suggested. "Is he going to have a middle name? What is it?"

"Joshua," Sam said quietly. "After my brother."

"I think that's nice," Selina grinned. "I like it."

* * *

They all stayed in the hospital room until a nurse came and kicked them out, saying that Leslie and the baby needed their rest.

"I'll be back later," Sam promised Leslie.

"Okay," Leslie smiled. "And bring food, please. I'm hungry."

"You wanna get a celebratory drink?" Damon asked as he and Sam made their way out the door.

"Sure," Sam nodded. "Why not?"

Selina and Annie followed behind. They didn't have the same bond with each other that Sam and Damon did, so Selina called after them, "Hey, can we come and get a drink too?"

"Well, yeah," Sam looked over his shoulder. "Of course you're invited." He and Damon then stopped, waiting for them to catch up, then put their arms around Selina and Annie and walked out of the hospital with them and drove to a bar to have a drink.

* * *

"What?" Sophia asked Jill after she brought her some tea. "What do you mean Dad found out he has a father that's a demon?"

"Well, that's what the man said," Jill shrugged. "And what I saw before he showed up. And stuff like that hasn't been wrong yet. It made your father finally make some peace with your grandfather, which is nice. But I don't know what's gonna happen. I hope I don't find out, cause that will mean things are gonna work themselves out nicely. And thank goodness Sam and Jill finally had their baby so your father can visit and have a distraction when he gets around to it." She smiled as her gaze found Eric. "How's your family?" She asked. "Maybe we could have them over for dinner sometime. Your parents, I mean. Do you think they would come if we asked?"

"Dad would love to, I'm sure," Eric nodded. "But my mom…I don't know if you want to meet my mom."

"Why not?" Sophia asked. He'd never talked about his mother before. "What's she like?"

"Well, she's more problematic than my dad," Eric replied. "That should tell you enough about her. She and dad were in a relationship, she got pregnant with me, had me, and then left Dad for his best friend."

"Why would she do that?" Sophia questioned.

"Beats me," Eric shrugged. "I've never wanted to ask. It was a real sore point with my dad, so naturally, we never talked about it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jill apologized. "Do you see much of her?"

"No, and I'm okay with that," Eric told her and sat down, patting the sofa cushion next to him so she would come and sit there. "I mean, I'm grateful that she gave birth to me and everything, but…she likes to make trouble where there isn't any. I don't like that about her."

"Ah," Sophia nodded. "So meeting her is out of the question."

"I don't know why you would want to," Eric remarked. "But it just might happen. With Dad remarrying and Arthur being around, she might feel all threatened and show up to complain about how I (and she) are being cheated out of our place of prominence, even though I have plans of my own that I'm happy with. It won't matter to her, though."

"Geez, really?" Sophia asked.

"Really," Eric nodded, his tone dry.

Then she turned to her own mother. "Thank you for not being crazy," she told her. "How's the tea?"

"Good," Jill smiled and gave Sophia a hug. "I really like it."

"I'm glad," Sophia returned. "If you want another cup, let me know."

* * *

And, much to his dismay, later in the day, he was proven right. He made the mistake of answering a call from an unknown number that would just not stop calling and his heart froze when he heard her shrill voice in his ear.

"What is this I'm seeing about your father remarrying?" Sibyl wanted to know. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Yeah, Mom," Eric sighed. "It's old news. I can't believe you didn't call before now to complain about it."

"So tell me," his mother demanded in a smooth voice. "What's the tart like that's replacing me?"

"She's not a tart," Eric said, trying to keep his tone under control. "She's nice. And I don't know why you're so mad about Dad seeing someone else when you're the one who got sick of him and left him for Rodan."

"So you're saying that because I left your father, I have no right to be upset that he's moved on too and is settling for less?" Sibyl questioned. Eric could just see her eye twitching.

"Yes," Eric confirmed. "Once you decided to leave, you lost any right to be involved in Dad's life whatsoever."

"I knew you'd side with him!" Sibyl growled. "I don't know why I called you in the first place! You are so ungrateful. Did you know that?"

"Well, you're not bowl of cherries yourself," Eric told her, and then hung up without saying goodbye and made note of her number so he wouldn't answer it again.

"That was your mom?" Sophia asked, her face twisted. "She sounds delightful."

"I know, right?" Eric scoffed. "Now you know why I don't want us to have anything to do with her."

"Yes," Sophia nodded and went to give him a hug. "I understand. Don't worry."

* * *

Elsewhere, Arthur was also dealing with a difficult parent. But not his: Lily's. She'd felt bad after talking so harshly to her father the morning following her night with Arthur and brought him to dinner at her parents' house to lay down the rules for their relationship so Elijah would have no more reason to protest (that were reasonable, anyway), and she wouldn't have to choose between her loyalty to Arthur and her love for her father.

"Hello, sir," Arthur greeted Elijah cordially and handed him a bottle of good wine. "Thank you so much for letting me come and have dinner with all of you this evening."

"It's not a problem," Elijah told him and led him to the living room. "It's the perfect time to talk about your intentions toward my daughter. I need to know that I can trust you to take care of her and not break her heart again."

"Elijah," Amy sighed. "We don't need to have this conversation." She looked at Lily. "Sweetheart, do you think Arthur is going to make the same mistake with you that he made before?"

"No, I think he's learned his lesson," Lily said. "Daddy, can't you accept that and stop giving him the third degree? I love him!"

"And I love you too!" Arthur told her. They stared at one another then, not feeling any shame, kissed in front of her parents. And when they broke apart, Elijah sighed.

"All right," he said and threw up his hands. "If you're happy and you trust him…that, I guess, is enough for me."

"Really?" Lily asked. "Are you serious? Are you honestly telling me that you're gonna let us be happy, or are you just saying it now because it's what we want to hear and you don't want me to run off?"

"No, I mean it," Elijah told her. "Having a relationship with you is one of the most important things in my life and if I have to make some concessions in order for that to happen…if the alternative is that you leave and don't come back…I'll accept your relationship. I know it might not seem like it, but I just want you to be happy, Lily."

"I know you do," Lily grinned as Arthur gave her a gentle nudge in her father's direction and she went to hug him hard. "I know that. And I'm…I'm sorry I came down on you so hard the other day. I didn't mean for it to sound so cruel."

"I understand why you felt you needed to stand your ground," Elijah told her. "I can respect that."

"I'm glad," Lily told him. "Thank you."

"Are we ready to eat now?" Amy smiled after letting the hug go on for a little while longer.

"Sure," Lily smiled and they all made their way to the table. "Let's eat!"

Elijah gestured to the chair on his right and said to Arthur, "Son, why don't you sit next to me? And you don't have to be suspicious, I promise. This isn't a trick."

"Thank you," Arthur gave Elijah a smile and a nod and accepted the seat. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," Elijah replied as Lily went to sit with her mother on the other side of the table, another gesture of trust in her father's overtures of good will toward Arthur and put some salad and a roll on her plate.

As she ate her roll, she watched Elijah and Arthur talk and laugh with each other, almost as if she and Amy weren't there. "This seems to be going well," she remarked to her mother. "I'm pleasantly surprised.

"Me too," Amy nodded. "I'm not even worried about how long it will last. I think your standing up to him about Arthur freaked your dad out so much that he really means to give having him in the family a chance this time."

"And if that's the case, then I'm very proud of him," Lily remarked, getting up to get a drink and pausing to kiss Elijah's cheek on her way to the kitchen.


	30. Take Time For Yourself

"So tell me," Ben said to Ingrid. "How've things been?"

"Good," Ingrid replied. "The next time we go out again, I'll come and pick you up. My dad's been having problems with my older brother and I don't think it's a good idea for you to show up at my house and antagonize him."

"Oh, come on!" Ben laughed. "I think that's all the more reason for me to come to your house. Your dad could probably use a good fight."

"Not if you win," Ingrid replied. "That won't be any good for him at all."

"All right," Ben sighed. "I'll let you pick me up."

"Thank you," Ingrid told him.

* * *

But of course Ben didn't listen. Just as she was preparing to leave to pick him up, the doorbell rang. Ingrid poked her head out her bedroom door and called to her brother, who she knew was downstairs, watching TV. "Christian, will you get the door?" She asked.

"Sure," Christian called. He'd come to spend the evening with his parents and sister to make up for what he'd said before. He opened the door and was face to face with Ben.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to take your sister out," Ben replied. "Let me in. We have to go."

"Not until we get to know each other first," Christian replied and pulled Ben inside.

Ben tried to pull out of Christian's grip, but the more he struggled, the tighter Christian held on until he got him over to a couch and pushed him down on it, getting right in his face.

"Who are you?" He snapped. "What's your name? What do you want with my sister?"

"I'm Ben," Ben replied. "Your sister and I are seeing each other socially. You can ask her if you want."

"I don't think I need to," Christian replied and began pacing around the living room. "As for you continuing to see my sister socially, we'll see about that. I don't want her being with just _anyone_."

"Aren't you being unreasonable?" Ben questioned. "Why are you treating me this way?"

"Because my parents are out and my father told me to watch the door and act with no mercy if you came to visit and _especially_ if you said you were taking Ingrid out," Christian replied. "He made you sound like an asshole, so I was more than happy to oblige him."

"Couldn't you have waited to get to know me first?" Ben asked. "I mean, it's true that your father and I have had some altercations, but your sister likes me, so I can't be completely horrible, can I?"

"Yes," Christian said immediately. "Yes, you can. Dad said you're a demon!"

This made Ben chuckle. "All right, so it's fine for him to call up my kind and use them for their power, but when it comes to us actually wanting to live our lives among other supernatural beings and make a home here and find love, then we're bad people?"

"You're not bad people," Christian shook his head. "Dad just doesn't want you anywhere near his daughter."

"And yet you're allowed near her?" Ben asked, looking him in the eye. "You're a demon too. I can sense it."

"Yes, but I am a trustworthy demon, unlike you," Christian shot back. "I don't like your tone."

"Of course you don't," Ben smiled. "Don't like having your hypocrisy thrown back in your face, do you?"

Christian then punched the smirk right off of Ben's face and sent him tumbling to the floor, and soon they were staring one another down, their demon faces visible. Gray One Christian looking at White One Ben.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Ben got out and broke Christian's nose. "You're a Gray One."

"What the hell does that matter?" Christian asked, heedless of the blood that was down his shirtfront.

"We're supposed to fight," Ben told him. "Apparently, it's always been that way."

"If I'm going to fight you, it's because of Ingrid, not cause of some stupid demon feud," Christian assured him. Then he took another swing at him which sent Ben flying into a lamp and knocking it over just as Ingrid came into the room, her dark eyes wide.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked. "Christian, don't hurt him! He's my date!"

"Why would I stop hurting him just because you told me that?" Christian asked and picked Ben up by his collar as Ben reached out to pull his hair. "That just gives me more incentive!"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and began tapping her foot in an irritated manner. "Did Daddy tell you to treat him this way if he came by?" She questioned, even though she was very sure she already knew the answer.

"Yes," Christian nodded. "Yes, he did. And I don't blame him. He's just trying to look out for you."

"Ben's never done a bad thing to me!" Ingrid cried and pulled Ben out of her brother's grip. "Sure, he and Dad have gotten in fights a few times, but he's never hurt me! Would you let him go, please? We're probably already late!"

"Actually we're not," Ben told her as they made their way to the door. "I knew someone would give me a pummeling when I came through the door, so I padded the schedule."

"Excellent," Ingrid said as they left the house and he took her by the hand. "I like a man who knows how to schedule. You think we're gonna have a good dinner tonight?"

"Yes," Ben replied and opened the car door for her. "I really think we will."

* * *

"I was thinking I might invite Nate to come and visit the house," Lydia suggested to Kai and Victoria. "Is that cool?"

"Sure," Kai nodded. "I've wanted to see him again. We didn't talk much at the movies."

"No," Victoria shook her head. "Every time he comes here is not going to be an interrogation, Malachai! We don't want him to be scared of us!"

"Why not?" Kai questioned with a toothy grin. "It's great to have people be scared of you."

"Not when they're your daughter's boyfriend," Victoria said. Then her eyes met her daughter's. "If that's what he is."

"We're thinking of going in that direction," Lydia nodded. "So he can come?"

"Sure," Victoria smiled. "We would love to have him."

So Lydia ran to her room and called Nate.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Nate cried. "I'll be over there right away! It's better than listening to Ben grumble about how he was humiliated at the hands of Ingrid's brother."

"Yeah," Lydia chuckled. "I heard. Ingrid said it was a nightmare for him. Do we feel sorry for him?"

"No," Nate said immediately. "We don't. He's got a broken nose. It's all taped up and everything. You should see it."

"I want to!" Lydia said. "Can you send me a picture?"

"Sure!" Nate told her. He got off the line for a bit and soon, Lydia was sucking in her breath at the sight of Ben and his broken nose, and giggling a bit at his sour expression. Apparently, he had _not_ wanted his picture taken.

"That looks _horrible!_ " Lydia remarked. "Poor guy! Is he in a lot of pain?"

"Yeah," Nate nodded. "Definitely. Now, what is it that you were saying about me coming over to visit you?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to," Lydia told him. "My parents know you're coming, so that's fine."

"All right," Nate remarked. "I'll try and behave myself in front of your dad. Not that I wouldn't anyway, but…"

"Mom is gonna keep an eye on Dad for you," Lydia reassured him. "Don't worry about that. Just get over here, please!"

* * *

"Hello, Nate!" Victoria greeted him. "Lydia said she would be inviting you over. It's so nice to see you."

"Thank you for saying that," Nate smiled. "I'm glad to see you too!"

The banal conversation continued until Lydia came into the room and sat next to Nate on the sofa. "So," he said and patted her knee. "What are we gonna do while I'm here?"

"Well, 'avoiding my father' is not on our list of activities because Mom sent him to his friend Adrian's house and when he's there, he doesn't come back for ages," Lydia said. "So what would you _like_ to do?"

"Let me get this straight," Nate said. "Your father is gone. He is not here at all. We will not run into him at any point."

"I don't think so," Lydia shook her head. "I mean there's always a chance that he _could_ come back early, but since he's with Adrian, I don't think that will happen. I don't think you need to worry."

"Good," Nate smiled. "You wanna have a go at the refrigerator then? Make giant sundaes and eat them out on the deck?"

"Yes!" Lydia's eyes lit up and she clapped. "That sounds great!"

So they ran to the refrigerator and made up their sundaes with everything they could reach (that went well on a sundae, anyway) and then headed out to the deck with bowls piled high in hand.

"I'm glad you came," Lydia told Nate as he gave her his cherry. "I like having you around."

"I like having you around too," Nate replied. He ate a spoonful of ice cream and then eyed her thoughtfully. "You know, I just realized that everything you and I have ever done has involved me coming to you. You want to come over and visit my house sometime?"

"Sure!" Lydia nodded. "If your parents won't mind, that is." She paused. "Do you think they would hate me?"

"No," Nate shook his head. "They won't hate you. I promise." Then, he grabbed a spoonful of his sundae and held it out to her. "Wanna try some?"

"Sure," she nodded, even though he had put nuts on his and she didn't really like them.

After he took the spoon out of her mouth and waited for her to swallow, he then grinned and leaned forward, kissing her and lying her back down on the deck. Their hands went all over each other's bodies, even though their clothes stayed on, and when they finally remembered about their ice cream, it had melted into a puddle in both their bowls.

"What a shame," Lydia sighed. "At least we can still drink it."

"Yeah," Nate nodded and tipped the puddle into his mouth. When he put the bowl down, Lydia giggled at his ice cream mustache and went to get him a towel.

"Thank you!" He called after her, turning to watch her bottom as she headed inside. "I appreciate it!"

* * *

"Mom!" Sam grinned and let Selina in as the dog scampered behind him and made a jump for her.

"Hi, puppy!" Selina grinned and kissed him. She was unsure if, with the birth of this newest Sam, the dog's name had been changed or not. "How are you?"

He licked her and then backed away, his tail wagging.

"What do you call him now?" Selina questioned as they made their way into the living room.

"The dog?" Sam asked. "He answers to Sport just as often as his other name, so I just call him Sport now."

It was then that Selina noticed that Sam had his son snuggled close to him in a sling, and he was sound asleep.

"That is so sweet!" Selina said, a smile on her lips as she ruffled the dark hair on baby Sam's head. "So nice of you to take care of him. Is Leslie sleeping?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd give her a break, but she's accused me of being too attached." Sam grinned.

"That's nothing," Selina whispered. "After my Daddy went to war, Mama decided to occupy her time by personally taking care of me, and so Granny wouldn't get in the way, she and her maid barricaded themselves in my nursery and didn't come out for three months. It would have been longer if Uncle Andrew hadn't talked her out."

"Seriously?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Grandma did that?"

"Yeah," Selina grinned, thinking of her mother in lady warrior mode. "I wish I could remember it. But all I can really remember is the bad stuff." She sighed and leaned against Sam. "But enough about that. We don't need to talk about it anymore."

"All right," Sam nodded. "Thanks for calling Dad to come to the hospital. I'm…glad the two of you still get along even though you're not a couple anymore."

"Of course!" Selina nodded. "Your dad and I…we've been through a lot over the years. And I think that sticking together is better for the both of us because we're not just exes, you know? We started out as friends first." She chuckled. "It always amused your grandma Charlotte in the years before she died how attached Damon was to me even though I was so much younger than him. Him and his eight year old boy gang would be running around and he would have no problem letting little me run after him with my tiny legs. I just…I felt so secure around him."

"Why do you think that was?" Sam asked. "Uncle Andrew? Was he the root of your comfort with good-hearted but rascally men?"

"Yeah, probably," Selina nodded. "You know, I could play poker by the time I was three because of my uncle."

"Really?" Sam asked. "How in the world…?"

"He would come over with a bag of penny candy and each piece would have a different money amount on it," Selina explained. "So I wasn't betting with actual money, which is probably why Mama would play with us too if my grandparents weren't home. And it just…it didn't take me long to get good." She then sighed and smiled at her son. "Seeing you like this…it makes me happy. Makes me think of you and your dad in your early years. I was terrified by the thought of him raising you mainly on his own at first, but he did a good job, overall. I know there was some friction later on, but he gave you a good start."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "He did. And I'm gonna do the same for my son."

Then the baby began to get fussy so Selina took him for a bit while Sam went and warmed up a bottle, and when he returned, she was very sad to give him back.

"You know," she said as she watched him, "I can take care of that while you go have a rest just like Leslie is doing."

"No, thanks," Sam shook his head. "Do you think I'm getting too attached too?"

"No, of course not," Selina shook her head. "I just don't want you to overwork yourself. Don't get so wrapped up in your kids that you forget about everything else. I mean, don't get me wrong, kids are important. But so is grown up time, you know. Make sure you and Leslie get that. Will you?"

"Yes," Sam nodded. "I will, I promise."

* * *

The next day, Sam left the baby with Leslie and went to visit his good friend, Christian, who he realized he hadn't seen outside of the club in quite some time.

"Hi!" Christian hugged him when he saw him. "I am surprised but glad to see you! I heard you and Leslie finally had your son. Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Sam sat down on the couch. "I heard you beat up a guy the other day. Congratulations on that."

"Thanks," Christian replied and sat next to him. "But according to Jill, that's not something I'm allowed to be proud of." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, it's not nice to start fights with your sister's dates even if your father says he wants you to."

"I have to say that I think she's wrong," Sam replied. "I mean, you didn't know the guy, right? He just showed up to take Ingrid out?"

"Yeah," Christian nodded. "Exactly. I was worried about her safety, Should I have just let her stride out of the house with a guy who was a total stranger to me?"

"No," Sam shook his head. "No responsible person would do that. My own grandfather would act exactly as you did. And has, I'm sure. He's real good with a gun."

"How's Leslie?" Christian asked. "Is she doing all right after the baby and everything?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I would say so. I thought she would be more stressed out, but she's handling it all like a real champ."

"That's good to hear," Christian replied. Then he said, "Sorry, I didn't offer you a drink or anything. Would you like one?"

"No, thanks," Sam shook his head. "I'm fine."

Christian came to sit back down then. "I'm just glad things are working out well for you," he said.

"Thanks," Sam grinned. "How are things going for you?"

"Well, I just discovered I have a father who's a demon in addition to John. Can you believe that? Jill had a vision of him coming and tried to get us to avoid him, but I decided to take him head on. And I think he likes me. I yelled at him and he likes me." He shook his head. "It's so weird."

"So…he's not going to try and kill you or anything, right?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so," Christian shook his head.

"Well, if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to let me know," Sam said. "I've always had your back and that's not going to change."

"Thanks," Christian smiled. "I love that I can always count on you."

"Of course," Sam nodded. "That's what friends are for."


	31. How To Become A Demon

"So…" Rodan told Katherine. "Have you adjusted to the idea of our marriage yet? Can we do something celebratory at last?"

"Of course you would want to celebrate how you tricked me," Katherine said, narrowing her eyes at him as she spoke. "Couldn't you have just told me the truth?"

"Would you have let me put the ring on your finger if I had? Or rather, the bracelet on your wrist?" Rodan asked. "I know that your reaction to hearing things you don't like is to run away. And I don't want you to run. I want you to stay with me."

"So you thought not telling me what I was getting myself into when you put that bracelet on my wrist was a better idea," Katherine nodded. "Yeah, _that_ makes a whole lot of sense."

"And in the spirit of honesty, I have to tell you that the bracelet lets me be able to find you," Rodan continued. "But don't worry, you can do the same for me."

"I wouldn't actually mind if you stayed lost," Katherine scoffed. "I need a drink."

"I can see that," Rodan grinned. "And I've got just the thing to cheer you up."

"Good," Katherine nodded. "I want a lot of it."

"Excellent," Rodan grinned to himself. "That's wonderful to hear." He went to the kitchen and got out the bottle of demon wine again. It had refilled itself since the last time they drank it, so there would be no problem with Katherine having as much as she wanted. He got out a glass and was prepared to pour it, then paused. What if she tasted it and refused because of what had happened last time she drank it? She wasn't an idiot. Then, he shook his head and poured a glass anyway. People got drunk all the time and still continued drinking afterward. Plus, she had no idea of what _really_ made the wine problematic for someone like her, so there was another reason why she had no reason not to drink it.

What he was pouring was not actual demon wine per se. It was a special potion given to him by Hazel herself that made people become demons. A way to swell the already big numbers that she had and defeat whatever her sisters' creations had going on. He knew he had to make Katherine a demon and he had to start now, because the potion took longer than one would think to work, and so the sooner he started giving it to her, the sooner he would have the result he wanted.

He brought out the wine and then before he could even take a breath to make a toast, Katherine grabbed one glass off the tray and downed it, then the other, so that the tray held two empty glasses. Ronan was delighted, but had to show displeasure so that she wouldn't get suspicious. "One of those was mine, you know," he told her and put the brown tray down on the sofa.

"So what?" Katherine asked as she wiped off her mouth with her hand. "You have legs. You can always go into the kitchen and get more. I assume that wasn't all the wine you have in this house."

"No," Rodan shook his head. "It wasn't. And let me guess: you would like another glass as well?"

"Yeah, why not?" Katherine shrugged. "I mean, since we _are_ celebrating and all. Why should I hold back?" She kicked off her shoes and grinned at him. "I'm kinda starting to feel a little fuzzy already," she remarked and headed over to the sofa to lie down. "What kind of wine was that? Not the demon kind from before?"

"Yes, the demon kind from before," Ronan confirmed. "That's why you shouldn't have drunk both glasses so fast. You're going to be hungover and throwing up again."

"Oh, well," Katherine said and buried her face in a pillow. "I don't care. I want more."

"All right," Rodan nodded and went to get her another drink. "I'll do it for you. And by the way, I'm happy to be married to you, too."

Katherine sat up. "When did I say I'm happy to be married to you?" She asked. "I don't think I did."

"You mean you're not even happy cause of all the power that being married to me gives you?" Rodan questioned when he came back and handed her the next glass of wine. "Cause that _is_ a benefit, you know?"

"Yeah, but you're not the top dog," Katherine pointed out. "You're the second fiddle."

"True," Rodan concurred, sitting next to her, putting his arm around her waist, and playing with her hair as she rested her curly head on his shoulder before he kissed the top of her head. "But that's gonna change soon, my dear. If I have anything to say about it, that is going to change."

* * *

"How would you feel about me throwing you an engagement party at the club?" Laura asked when Katherine came into work the next day. "I want to do this for you. Please let me."

"It's a nice thought," Katherine told her. "And if it were any other man at any other time, I would agree, but…with Rodan, it's not something I want to celebrate."

"Okay, so we won't invite a lot of people," Laura nodded. "Okay, I get it."

"No, you don't," Katherine shook her head. "I don't want any damn party, okay?" her eyes flashed then, turning jet black for just a moment before retaining their normal brown color. It wasn't a long change, but it was long enough for Laura to notice.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"What do you _mean_ 'What's wrong with your eyes'?" Katherine asked, running over to the mirror. They didn't seem bloodshot or anything. What was she talking about? She turned to face Laura, who still looked a little nervous and even backed away, eyes wide, as she approached. "What's the matter with my eyes? My eyes are fine!"

" _Now_ they are, but they were jet black before," Laura said. "When you were angry. And I've known you long enough to know that that doesn't normally happen."

"My eyes went all black?" Katherine asked. " _Really_? Are you just making that up?"

"Why would I make that up?" Laura asked, crossing her arms. "What would be the point?"

"To be sneaky and play a prank on me," Katherine replied. "Get a good, cheap laugh at my expense."

"Oh, that is reaching, even for you!" Laura scoffed. Then the phone rang. "Please go answer that, would you?" She asked.

"Fine," Katherine made a face. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, either!"

She picked up the phone and said "Laura's Salon, this is Katherine. How can I help you?" She scheduled a trim and then put the phone back in the cradle.

"Did you just answer the phone the right way for the first time in forever?" Laura asked.

"Yeah," Katherine sighed, "I suppose I did. And wasn't I right? Isn't the new, simple name better than whatever we called this place before?"

"Yes," Laura admitted. "And people are still finding us to make appointments, so that's good."

They sat in silence for a little while and then Katherine spoke at last. "If you'd…if you'd like to throw me some sort of party because Rodan and I are married now…that would be all right with me. Just you and me, and Elizabeth at most, though. When I say I don't want anything big, I mean it."

"All right," Laura smiled. "I'll see what I can do if those are the parameters."

"And did you _really_ see my eyes change?" Katherine asked. "You weren't just making that up?"

"Nope," Laura shook her long dark hair out of her eyes. "It was just for a second, but your eyes were black! How would that happen? Do you know?"

"I might have an idea," Katherine told her. "I just need to have a talk with Rodan."

* * *

"Hey," she said when she got home from work. "Rodan, when you go all demon-y, your eyes get black, don't they?"

"Yeah," Rodan nodded. "Why do you ask? Are you trying to learn more about demons and get acclimated to your new life? Cause that's good and I'm proud of you."

"Not exactly," Katherine shook her head. "I was at work today and I got a little angry. Laura saw and she said that my eyes changed for a moment. That they got all black like yours. Do you have any idea why that might be?"

"Not specifically," Rodan answered, trying to stay relaxed and keep a straight face. "Have you found some way to steal my blood recently? Cause you know, consuming demon blood if you're not a demon will turn you into one."

"That's a good thing to know," Katherine patted his shoulder. "Thank you for mentioning it. But no, I haven't gotten into your blood supply, or _any_ demon blood supply. Any other ideas for why my eyes might be going black?"

"No," Rodan shook his head. "And if it just happens one time, I don't think it's anything you need to get yourself all worked up about."

"Are you sure?" Katherine asked. "Cause if there's something wrong with me, and you know what it is and how to fix it, or how to avoid it getting any worse, I'd like you to tell me. In the spirit of honesty, remember? And if you keep something from me that I have a right to know, I just might have to kill you."

"How would you do that?" Rodan grinned, unfraid. "You have no idea how to kill a demon."

"Maybe not, but just using methods I know well, I could still make you hurt a lot, couldn't I?"

"You know," Rodan sped over and grabbed her. "I know a lot of men wouldn't see a threat like that as a turn on, but I do. Come on, do your worst. Unless that's just talk."

"It's not," Katherine hissed, baring her teeth as she pinned him against the wall, kissed him, and then raked her nails down his chest, making blood well up.

"Go ahead and eat some," he said, running his finger down the wound and then holding his bloody finger up to her. "Have a taste. You know you want to, otherwise, you wouldn't be doing this."

"Oh, there are other reasons," Katherine assured him, getting right in his face and then reaching inside his pants to give him a rub as his cock throbbed under her fingers. "Maybe I just want to see you _bleed_."

"Well, if that's your plan," Rodan panted, so badly wanting to kiss her. "If that's your plan, then you're off to a good start."

Then, Katherine dropped her panties, pushed him to the ground, unzipped him, and straddled him. "I like how things look from up here," she whispered and leaned down to kiss him as she felt him go deep inside her. "It's nice." She put her hands on either side of Rodan's face. "What do you think?"

He grinned and ordered her to take off her shirt and bra, which she did, and just shook his head, his eyes bright. "There," he said, reaching up to touch her breasts, a slight, pleasant pain shooting through her body as he squeezed each nipple. " _There_ is a view I can appreciate." Then he pulled her face down to kiss her, and inhaled the scent of her perfume. "You should wear that more often," he told her. "In fact, next time, the only thing I want you wearing is that perfume."

"All right," she said and sat up, her stomach and breasts covered with blood from his wounds that still had to heal. "I think we can manage that."

"Thank you," he said in surprise.

"You're welcome," she told him.

* * *

"No, Mama," Selina shook her head. "I mean, thank you for asking first, but I don't think I want to help you with your school's bake sale to raise money for new sports equipment for the gym."

"Why not?" Amelia asked. "It's a good cause!"

"I don't doubt it is, but I really don't want to help the people who threw me out of a job I really liked just because of my relationship with Dorian."

Amelia sighed. "Astrid only did what she did because she thought that you and Dorian would sic legions of demons on them and kill everyone."

"I have people that would do that for me now if I asked them to," Selina grinned, then sobered at the look of horror on her mother's face. "But I won't, don't worry."

It was then that Katherine strode into the house. "I need your help," she told Selina. "I think something is wrong with me. And it might be a demon thing."

Selina looked back and forth between her mother and her nemesis. "Okay," she said at last. "Katherine, if I have to pick between dealing with two annoying problems, I pick yours. What happened?"

"Oh. For heaven's sake!" Amelia stomped her foot. "Sometimes, you are so childish, Selina!"

"How am I childish?" Selina cried. "You asked me for a favor and I didn't want to do it so I politely refused you. If you ask me, you're the one who's childish cause you've never been able to take 'No' for an answer." She paused. "Well, at least not from me, anyway. Why can you handle a refusal from Uncle Andrew and not from me?"

"Because you're my child," Amelia explained. "I have authority over you and I don't have authority over him. When your parent asks you to do something, it's only right that you help relieve their burden."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel you have a burden," Selina replied. "But I really think that what you're saying is wrong. I mean, think of all the things your mother asked you to do. Did you ever wish you could tell her 'No'?"

"Of course," Amelia nodded. "But then I remembered my duty and did the right thing."

"You know, it's you and Daddy being so hung up on doing your duty that made you both miserable your whole lives," Selina pointed out. "You did what other people told you and it made you really unhappy. I'm just trying not to repeat that mistake."

"Wait a minute," Katherine said to Amelia. "You just let people tell you what to do all your life? How could you live like that?"

"Because I felt like I was doing right obeying my parents instead of my own selfish needs," Amelia told her. "Did you forget hearing all this when you tricked your way into my house using Robert Pierce as bait so you could torment my daughter?"

"Oh, right," Katherine had the grace to blush a little as she remembered what she'd put Amelia through during her efforts to make Selina, the "spare" doppleganger she'd had created to save her own life, be the one Klaus would pick for his evil schemes.

"They're not selfish if they stop you from being miserable," Selina told her mother patiently. "And admit it, even you saw the fault in the logic Granny had been feeding you all your life after she died and you did what you wanted for the first time ever and got with Uncle Andrew on the day of Granny and Granddaddy's funeral."

"Yes, but then the universe punished me for having too much fun by having your uncle die right after we got engaged, and leaving me pregnant with your brother," Amelia sighed. "That's what happens when you don't honor your parents and make the right choices."

"Okay," Selina shut her eyes and tried to head off the headache that was rapidly approaching. "Here is a compromise: You pick a recipe and I will help you with it, but I'm not offering any recipe of my own. Is that fair?"

Amelia stared at her, her mouth opening as she tried to protest, but couldn't come up with any reason to yell at her besides the fact that she hated to be told she was wrong. "All right," she said at last. "That would be very nice. Thank you for being willing to compromise with me."

"You're welcome," Selina nodded. "Thank you for accepting my compromise. When you find the recipe you'd like to do, let me know so we can make it." Then she turned to Katherine. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "What's your problem?"

"I'm not sure," Katherine told her as they made their way outside to talk in Katherine's car. "But a couple of times now, once when I was at work with Laura and once this morning, my eyes turned jet black just like Rodan's do when he becomes a demon. Do you think...do you think I might be turning into a demon too?"


	32. Tell Me Everything

"Well, I don't know for sure if you're turning into a demon," Selina told Katherine. "Is the only symptom that makes you think so the fact that your eyes are changing?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "I think Laura would have mentioned it if she'd seen anything else and she hasn't."

"Would you like to come to the office with me and talk to Dorian?" Selina offered. "I'm sure he's got a better idea of what becoming a demon looks like so he could give you a much more definitive answer to your question than Laura or I could."

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to be a bother," Katherine told her. "It's not so bad. I'll figure it out myself."

"You could, but you don't _have_ to," Selina said and grabbed her coat. "If you want help, I'll give it to you. And with how Dorian and Rodan feel about one another, I'm sure if you thought Rodan was harming you in some way, or causing you trouble, he'd be more than happy to help you out too. It's not a problem, really."

"Well…all right, thank you," Katherine conceded. "But only because I don't know what else to do."

"You're welcome," Selina told her. She then said 'Goodbye' to Amelia and they got in Selina's car, calling Jeannette from the driveway to see if it was even worth going in to see Dorian. "Is he busy?" She asked. "Should we wait and go another time?"

"You know he'd always make time for you, no matter how busy he was," Jeannette replied. "But since I know you don't like to inconvenience him, wait a minute and let me call Jim. He'll know what Dorian's up to."

"All right, thanks, Jeannette," Selina told her. "I appreciate it." She then put the phone down in her lap and waited.

"Were you able to get a hold of him?" Katherine asked, trying to make sure she sounded nonchalant rather than anxious.

"Not now," Selina shook her head. "But my assistant is calling his assistant and we'll see if he's not too busy to have a chat. I think he'll be able to squeeze us in, though, so you don't need to worry."

Katherine raised an eyebrow. "You're married and in a 'your people will call my people' situation?"

"Well, we _are_ the top royal couple of the demon world," Selina reminded her. "We lead busy lives."

But Jeannette was back on the line before Katherine could respond, and she had good news. "Jim says that Dorian has a light schedule, so you can go right into his office and it won't be any inconvenience at all," she told her.

"Thanks," Selina told her. "I owe you one, Jeannette."

"We'll have to go shopping this weekend," Jeannette told her. "And as for your presence at the meeting, don't go too long because you have a staff meeting to go to at school. It's not one you can miss. That oddly scheduled one you've wanted me to remind you about for weeks."

"Oh, shit!" Selina cried. "Thank you for reminding me. I totally forgot."

"It's all right," Jeannette assured her. "That's what I'm here for."

"Is there another problem?" Katherine asked as Selina ended the call and put her phone back in her purse. "Will we not be able to see Dorian after all?"

"No, _you'll_ be able to see him," Selina assured her. "But just…how comfortable would you be seeing him without me? I assume you'll be all right cause he's not as bad as Rodan. Am I wrong?"

"You're right," Katherine told her. "Do you have to do something else?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I have a meeting at school that I totally forgot about, cause it's at a weird time. So I'll drop you off, and when you're done talking with him, I'm sure you can get Jim to take you home."

"All right," Katherine nodded as Selina started her car and backed out of the driveway. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"So you're the woman Rodan's attached himself to," Dorian said as he studied Katherine while they stared each other down.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "But you better not hold that against me. I don't even like him all that much."

"I don't doubt that," Dorian sat back and took a deep breath. "I really don't think he's been likeable for years. It's amazing how troubled love affairs gone wrong can make some people."

"Was he dumped?" Katherine asked. "Was that his problem?"

"Well, I don't really know," Dorian sighed. "But let's just say that the last woman I'm sure he dated before you, the last one I knew personally…fidelity was not her strong suit."

"Should I feel sorry for him then?" Katherine asked. "That _does_ kind of explain why he's so eager to keep me near him at all costs: he's afraid of losing another woman."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean it's okay for him to lie to you," Dorian told her. "Now…what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

"I think I might be turning into a demon," Katherine replied. "Or something like that. Whenever I've gotten mad enough lately, my eyes…they've changed the way Rodan's do when _he_ gets angry. Do you think he's doing something to me?"

"It could very well be," Dorian nodded. "You're a vampire, right? Just like Selina is?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "But before you ask what I think you're going to, no…I haven't consumed any of Rodan's blood. He told me that that would turn me into a demon."

"And he's right about that," Dorian nodded. "I'm trying to think what other ways you could be becoming a demon besides blood in your system. You haven't had him give you any organs or anything, have you?"

"No!" Katherine shook her head. "But he's been giving me a lot of what he calls 'demon wine'. You think that could have something to do with it?"

"Oh, god, he gave you that?" Dorian asked. "How much have you had?"

"Probably more than I should have," Katherine confessed. "How does it work? Do you know?"

Dorian sighed. "The purpose of the wine is to make more demons. It's not so much wine as a potion that slowly but surely turns the drinker from whatever it is they happen to be into a demon. With every drink, the magic in the potion settles inside you, accumulates, will change you from vampire to demon. Or make you be a demon too. That will be more likely."

"And I wonder when he was gonna tell me that?" Katherine raged. "Oh, I'd like to punch that Rodan in the face and make him confess what he's doing to me!"

"I don't think he will," Dorian told her. "At least not to you. I might be able to talk to him myself and get him to let me in on his plan. Why don't you go to my house and wait, I'll talk to Rodan, and when I know what's going on, I'll call and tell you."

"Really?" Katherine asked. "You think it's that simple?"

"Well, no," Dorian shook his head. "It's going to be a long and extremely irritating process for me because, as you know, Rodan is very stubborn. But I think that knowing what you're up against is very important, so I'll get his plan out of him, no matter how long it takes me."

"Thank you," Katherine said, shocked that this man she hardly knew was so willing to help her. "Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it," Dorian told her as he led her to Jim, who would take her to his house. "It's no trouble at all."

* * *

"Well, here you are again," Rodan told Dorian when he found him on his doorstep once more. "What do you want? Come to yell at me about something you feel I've done wrong, even if it's not of your business ? If that's your plan, then you can just leave."

"I came because I want to know what the hell you're doing to that woman you're seeing," Dorian told him. "Are you turning her into a demon?"

"Of course I am!" Rodan nodded. "But what business is it of yours?"

"Well, it doesn't seem that you've told her what you're planning," Dorian remarked. "When she came and told me her suspicions, she was terrified, or at least confused and a little put out. If you're going to spend the rest of your life with her, don't you at least owe it to her to be honest?"

"You clearly don't know her, Dorian," Rodan sighed, still not inviting Dorian in but letting him stay on the doorstep instead. "Every time you tell her the truth about anything, she runs away. The only way I can keep her with me is by not telling her everything."

"And that doesn't seem like a bad way to have a relationship to you?" Dorian questioned.

"If it gets me what I want, I don't really mind," Rodan shrugged.

Dorian scoffed at this and turned to walk away. "No wonder you and Sybil got together," he said over his shoulder. "You both have mutual disregard for anyone's feelings but your own in common. It seems like you were made for each other."

"Don't you bring Sybil into this," Rodan shouted at him. "What happened between me and her has nothing to do with how things are between me and Katherine now."

That made Dorian pause, turn on his heel, and stride back to his former friend. "I think you're wrong about that," he told him, baring his teeth. "I think how you're treating Katherine now has _everything_ to do with the fact that even though things started well for you and Sibyl, she ended up treating you just as badly as she treated me, and you're terrified things will be repeated with Katherine unless you keep her on a short leash and make her exactly like you."

"That's none of your business what I do with her," Rodan growled. "Now, I'd like you to leave."

"All right, I will," Dorian shrugged. "It's not like I want to be here any longer than I can help. But if you really don't want her to run, if you want to make a life with her, tell Katherine what you're planning. Tell her that you're sorry. Actually, you should do it anyway, cause that's what a decent person does, but since you only seem to understand things when you know how they'll affect _you_ , if you don't apologize, and start treating her like an equal, you'll just end up lonely again. Do you want that?"

"Clearly I don't," Rodan snapped. "Have you been listening at all? Are you stupid or something? Get off my doorstep!"

"Fine," Dorian told him. "But I really and truly believe that unless you apologize, the only stupid one here will be you." He then turned on his heel and strode away for good that time, knowing that Rodan probably wouldn't heed his words, but also truly hoping that he would, for Katherine's sake, and Rodan and Katherine's own happiness.

* * *

While Dorian and Selina helped Katherine and Rodan (or Katherine, anyway) Arthur and Lily were left on their own to navigate their relationship.

"Okay," Lily said as they sat on Arthur's bed, their books and papers for school spread around them. "Here's the deal: We do our homework first, then we make out."

"I have a question," Arthur said.

"All right," Lily nodded. "What is it? Is it about homework?"

"No," he shook his head, reaching out to push some of her red hair out of her eyes. "How do you do it? How do you control yourself? I look at you and I just…I want to jump you all the time, but you don't seem to have that problem with me. Do you even find me attractive at all?"

"Yes, of course I do, you silly!" Lily said. "But I…I've learned from my dad how to repress those feelings until the right moment." She paused. "Like, right now, if I were to allow my mind to wander, the first thing I would see is you without a shirt. Or naked. It depends."

Arthur smiled, his tongue slowly sliding over his bottom lip, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "You know," he whispered in her ear, his lips on her earlobe, "I would be more than happy to make that vision a reality."

"Thanks, but no…" Lily told him. "We have to focus now! We have to study! We have to…" Her thought trailed off as he totally ignored her and took his shirt off anyway.

"There," he said while she stared without blinking. "I feel better now. Don't you?"

"Yeah," she nodded and leaned toward him. " _Really_ better." She kissed him a few times in quick succession, his arms closing around her waist and pulling her close before she finally pulled away. "No, bad! Focus, study!"

"No, that can wait," Arthur grinned. "The books and stuff aren't going anywhere, are they?" He pushed them off the bed and onto the rug nearby and Lily's jaw dropped.

"Be careful!" She cried. "I just organized those!"

"Sorry," He apologized, getting off the bed for a moment, picking up the mess, and making a nice stack of books and papers on his desk chair. "I'll help you organize them again when we're done, I promise."

"All right," Lily replied as he climbed back into bed and took her in his arms, kissing her for a long moment before lowering her onto the mattress and helping her undress before undressing himself and kissing her as he ran his hands all over her body and slipped inside her, grinning at every moan that escaped her lips as he thrust into her.

"Good," she chuckled, eyes closed. "Oh, that is so good!" As she climaxed, she threw her arms around his neck and burst into laughter as they both fell back onto the mattress in a heap. Lily ran her fingers through Arthur's hair and smiled up at him. "Well, that was fun," she remarked.

"Yeah, but I bet you'd like to get back to studying now, wouldn't you?" Arthur asked as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes. "I mean we _do_ have that test tomorrow."

"Oh, I remember," Lily nodded and kissed him again. "But it shouldn't take us that long to get things under control, right? Let's stay like this a little longer."

"All right," Arthur nodded and pulled her close. "That's fine with me."


	33. Arthur's People

"I have something I need to talk to you about," Dorian told Selina a few days after his second visit to Rodan. "I know you might object, but I think that considering what I know about Rodan, and the fact that we don't know anything about his current intentions other than that he wants to turn Katherine into a demon and replace me as head of the demon world, it's a conversation we need to have."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Sounds serious. What's on your mind?"

"Well, you know that between the two of us, I've always had more staff than you: body guards, assistants, whatever, and you just have Jeannette because I know how important your independence is to you and how much you don't like to depend on others if you don't have to. I know that and I respect it. However, now I would like to increase your staff. I know I should have done it after Mikael killed you, but I figured that since that was what he wanted, once he'd achieved his aim and I was able to make you a demon, he wouldn't be a danger. But now…now, with Rodan, since I don't know what he's going to do or when he's going to do it, or if it will even involve you in any way, I would rather be safe than sorry. Do you understand? Will you let me add more people to your staff just so I have more eyes on you for my own peace of mind?"

"All right," Selina nodded, cause she knew just from the anxious look in his eyes that he was waiting for her to say 'No' and pick a fight, and since his concerns were genuine, she didn't want to worry him any more than he already was. "If you feel I should have a bigger staff, that's fine with me. I was going to ask you about that. We're royalty, yet we don't have big entourages. I kind of want a big entourage."

"Thank you for being so agreeable," Dorian smiled and kissed her. "I appreciate it. Really. It pleases me, and eases my mind more than you could know."

"Do we need to get a staff for Arthur too?" Selina asked.

"Oh, yes," Dorian nodded. "He's probably more in danger than you are."

"When do you think we should tell him?" Selina asked.

"As soon as possible," Dorian replied. "No sense in beating around the bush about it."

Selina sighed. "Oh, I know. Since he won't be happy about it, we might as well get all the grumbling out of the way immediately."

* * *

"What do you mean I have to have a bunch of people follow me around and spy on me?" Arthur burst out when Selina and Dorian told him of the plan the following night. "Is this about the fact that me and Lily are having sex now? Cause I thought that was all right as long as I wasn't doing it during school hours!"

"The reason why we're doing this has nothing to do with you and Lily," Dorian replied patiently. "It has to do with the fact that a lunatic demon named Rodan who used to be my friend but is now my enemy has showed up and made his intentions to take over the demon world very clear. And if he's willing to do bad things to the woman he says he loves to get his way, I don't want to think about what he would do to you since you're my son," Dorian told him. "We're doing this for your safety. We're sorry if it's an inconvenience for you, but it's just how things are going to be."

"Fine," Arthur huffed. "It just better not get in the way of my life, that's all."

"Well, you're going to have to make some adjustments, young man!" Dorian called. "There's no way around that."

"I think you're just worrying for nothing," Arthur spat. "I think you just want to have control over my life."

"No, we don't!" Selina shook her head and tried to come over and embrace him, but he even stepped away from her too.

"Sure, you say that _now_ ," he growled. "But I would rather be hurt first and be sure there's an actual reason for all this nonsense instead of having my life completely upended for no reason."

"You think this will get in the way of your relationship with Lily, don't you?" Selina questioned as she followed him to his room, even though he clearly didn't want her to.

"Well, yes," Arthur scoffed. "Obviously! It seems like everything that has to be done as a result of royal privilege and station does that. I mean, what sane person is gonna want to be in a relationship where part of it entails being followed around and spied on in case some nut _might_ jump out of the bushes and hurt you? Who?"

"I'm sure that Lily will understand if you explain it to her," Selina told him, trying to keep her voice calm and supportive. "She knows what you are and what it entails and if she really loves you, all that won't get in the way of you."

"I really want you to be right," Arthur replied.

"I am," Selina told him with confidence. "I promise."

* * *

"Oh, my god," Lily cried when Arthur came in the limo pick her up from school and she saw the whole caravan of cars. "What's with all the extra people? Did someone die? Are we going to a funeral instead of school?"

"No," Arthur shook his head and rolled his eyes. "These are my people. Mom and Dad are worried about my safety cause of that Rodan guy I told you about, remember? And having a whole cavalry following me around everywhere is a result of that worry. I'm sorry about this. We'll probably never have a moment's peace from now on."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Lily replied with a smile and a wink. "You find ways to work around it." She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll show you a few if you want me to."

"Really?" Arthur asked in surprise. "Your dad is _that_ bad?"

"Well, not always, but I have found that it's useful to have an escape plan in place," Lily grinned.

He put an arm around her. "I'm so glad you're taking this in good humor. I thought you were gonna turn tail and run when you found out."

"No," Lily shook her head and squeezed his hand. "I guess that's the last thing you need right now. The only time I'll leave is if you want to be alone, cause I get that."

"I'll never tell you to go away," Arthur assured her. "I might tell these guys all to take a hike at some point, but not you."

"Well, I don't know," Lily smiled. "You might find me really annoying sometimes and want me to go for a bit. That's just normal. Both my parents are like that."

"Even your mom?" Arthur asked in shock. "I thought she could put up with a lot."

"She can, when she's working," Lily nodded. "But she's not working with my dad. He's not one of her clients. So when he gets difficult, she just tunes him out. Tells him she won't put up with his nonsense."

"And he's okay with that?" Arthur asked in amazement. Cause he'd heard stories of when his mother and Elijah were married and that's not how his mother had seen things. "That's not what my mom said. In fact, when she did that sort of thing to him, that's what made them get divorced!"

"Well, I guess it was different with your mom," Lily shrugged and then made a face. "I can't believe that my dad was married to your mom once. It's weird!"

"They weren't just married!" Arthur reminded her. "They had kids!"

"Oh, I know," Lily nodded. "And I see Laura a lot. I like her. How many of their kids have _you_ met?"

"Probably more than you," Arthur replied. "Roxie is the one I see the most."

"Yeah, I see her at the demon club too," Lily replied. "But she's not Dad's. She's uncle Klaus and your mom's. Do you realize how many weird relationships your mom has had?"

"Yeah, but she finally hit the right mark with my dad, and that's good," Arthur said.

"Of course," Lily nodded.

* * *

They got to school and of course, as they walked through the halls with the extensive entourage trailing behind, everyone stared and whispered.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Lily asked Arthur. "I know people are looking at us now, but just ignore it."

"I was planning to, don't worry," Arthur assured her. "Other people's staring doesn't bother me."

Over lunch, Selina called him into her office and they ate together.

"So," she remarked. "How have things gone? How did Lily react when you showed up with the new entourage?"

"Well, we're still together so that's good," Arthur smiled. "She says she understands because Elijah's just as protective and she figures that I need support now more than ever."

"Good!" Selina smiled and patted him on the back. "I'm happy for you. That's what I hoped she would say. And what about having those guys around in general? I hope that It's getting easier for you to cope. I know it's not your ideal situation. If it makes you feel any better, your father's working on getting more staff for me too."

"I can't believe he didn't do it after you were killed," Arthur mused. "That really surprises me."

"Well, he didn't consider Mikael to be an on-going threat the way he does Rodan," Selina shrugged. "That's why he said he held off." Then she held out a sandwich bag full of broccoli and carrots. "Eat some of these. They'll be good for you after all that pizza and grease you had."

"Oh, all right," Arthur told her and reached in to take a handful of vegetables. "I suppose it won't hurt me." He nibbled on them and then remarked, "Why do you think Dad's so worried about that Rodan guy anyway?"

"Your dad says he's trying to take over our positions of power," Selina replied. "That's a good reason to worry." She paused. "I met him and he didn't seem so bad, but if your father is worried, there's probably some underlying evil that I don't know about to the guy." She paused. "But then again, he did decide to be in a relationship with a woman I still hate after a long time, so that should be my clue to be wary of him right there."

"Ah," Arthur nodded. "All right."

Then Selina got up and took a blood bag from a cooler by her desk. "You need some?" She asked her son. "Or did you already have some this morning?"

"I'll take some of that," he replied, grabbing the bag from Selina when she was done. "Thanks, Mom. I'm surprised you keep bags around, though. I thought you liked your blood fresh and fought for."

"I prefer it," Selina nodded. "But sometimes, this is easier on busier days."

"Makes sense," Arthur agreed.

* * *

After school, Selina called off Arthur's guard for the day and let him go home with Lily alone.

"That was so nice of your mom," Lily commented as they were driven away, waving to Selina out the back window. "At least one of your parents can be normal."

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "Thank god for that."

When they reached Lily's house, Amy met them at the door and then sat waiting for them at the kitchen table while they put their bags and coats down. "How was your day?" She asked.

"I got through it," Lily replied. "Did you know that Arthur has an entourage now?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "Selina said that would happen." She paused. "Arthur, have your parents said anything about when they plan to have their wedding?"

"Nope," Arthur shook his head. "Not a word, although you think they would have by now. But I bet it won't be any time soon."

"Well, of course not, with this guy possibly coming to terrorize everyone," Amy agreed. "But I just…I just wondered."

"Yeah, me too," Arthur nodded. "Thank god them putting rings on each other is basically the same thing, otherwise I'd still be a bastard."

Amy and Lily just looked at one another, unsure of how to reply to this. Then, Elijah came through the door and they were able to bring up a new subject.

"How was work today?" Amy asked him as she came and helped him take off his coat. "Did you fill young minds with knowledge?"

"I always try to," Elijah replied. "How much they listen is up to them, though." Then he noticed Arthur. "Hello, son," he remarked, coming to sit down next to him. "How are you?"

"Under the threat of total annihilation, apparently," Arthur remarked, a little stunned by how kind Elijah was being, although he shouldn't have been. "I have to have _people_ now. Lots and lots of people. It just seems so ridiculous! Am I nuts for feeling that way?"

"No, your mother's like that," Elijah told him. "Likes to do a lot for herself. If you ever need a break, you can just come over here and breathe, like you're doing now."

"Well, thank you," Arthur told him. "I'll remember that." He paused. "Does your mother know you're here?"

"Yeah, she told us to come," Lily informed him.

"Ah," Elijah nodded. "Okay." He turned back to Arthur. "Have you had your blood today? You _do_ have vampire characteristics, right? I've never been certain."

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "And I'm good. I had lunch with Mom at school today and she gave me some."

"Good," Elijah said. "Good."

"You can change out of your suit," Lily told him. "Why don't you put on comfy clothes?"

"To me, these _are_ comfy clothes," Elijah told her as he brushed some lint off his lapels. "I'm fine, Lily." He then ruffled her hair. "You never told me how that history test of yours went the other day. Has it been graded yet? How did you do?"

"Well, of course," Lily smiled proudly. "Thanks to you, I know practically everything. And the teachers are always going on and on about how detailed and real my essay question answers are. I think I make them really happy."

"So what are you two doing tonight?" Elijah asked. "Are you going to the night club? Or are you staying in?"

"I was thinking we could stay in," Arthur said, then flushed a little as he turned to face Lily. "If…if that's all right with you. I've had kind of a long week."

"Sure," Lily nodded. "That's okay. Wanna put on a movie?"

"Okay," Arthur agreed, then told Elijah, "You and Amy can watch it with us."

"I'll make the popcorn," Amy smiled and she and Lily headed for the kitchen. "Let's do this. I think it'll be fun!"


	34. A Little Job On The Side

"Why don't you tell us about work?" Matthew asked Sarah when she got home from work one night and collapsed into a chair. "I'm eager to know about it. Is it fun? Do you meet interesting people?"

"Oh, don't interrogate her, Matthew," Christine told him as she handed Ellie to her mother and Sarah settled her daughter in her lap. "Can't you see she's had a long day and wants to just take a breather?"

"It's okay, Mom," Sarah told her. Then she turned to her father. "I've met some interesting people," she told her father. "I mean, the job itself isn't the most interesting in the world, but…free food, a good workout every day, and an interesting clientele give me something to look forward to every day."

"Good," Matthew smiled. "That was all I wanted to know. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome," Sarah nodded and bounced her daughter on her lap. "How's Ellie been doing? Has she been behaving herself?"

"Of course she has," Matthew nodded. "She and I have been spending a lot of time outside. I think the fresh air is doing her a lot of good."

"Yeah," Sarah grinned at her daughter's happy face. "I agree. I don't think she misses me at all."

"I'm glad things are working out for you," Matthew said. "But if you ever need money or anything like that, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Sarah told him. "But I know that you and Selina and everyone else I respect have made it through life by doing things their own way and working hard and I want to do that too. You know?"

"I do," Matthew nodded. "It's just that sometimes, when you don't expect it, things can get hard, and I want you to know that when you get to those times, if you ever do, you won't have to handle them alone."

"Thanks, Daddy," Sarah said and hugged him. "Now, I can take Ellie and give her her bath now. I bet after watching her all day, you probably want a few moments for yourselves."

"That can wait," Christine told her firmly. "You go take a soak and relax. You deserve it. Taking care of Ellie is no problem for us."

"All right," Sarah nodded, looking into her mother's brown eyes. "If that works for you, that's what we'll do." As she headed to the bathroom though, she considered all that her parents had done to help her since Ellie's father, the idiot Sean Mikaelson, had ditched his daughter to go back to Europe and finish becoming a doctor when it wasn't strictly necessary for him to even _have_ a career because, just like her, he had easy access to money and the whole reason he'd gone to Europe in the first place was because of his fear of becoming a parent.

"That should have tipped me off right there," she told herself as she ran the bath water, poured some bubble bath in, and then undressed and climbed in the tub. "That should have told me how things would turn out with Sean right there."

As she settled into the warm water and rubbed the soapy loofah over her skin, she thought about the situation with her parents. She was grateful to them for their help, that's for sure. Especially since she had a sneaking suspicion that even her mother didn't quite agree with how soon she'd had Ellie. And she wouldn't give up on their offers of watching her daughter so she could work as much as she needed to without guilt.

But at the same time, she knew she would always have a nagging voice in her head telling her to at least try and give her parents a break. Maybe she could take Ellie to work with her for a day, just to see what happened. She knew she'd have to talk to Patrick or Eric first, or even Dorian. And she would do that. Cause knowing whether or not she could give her parents a break to thank them for all they'd done for her…that was important to her.

* * *

"Who's the kid?" Josh asked from his cage as Sarah came striding in with his food a few days later, pushing it on a cart with one hand and balancing Ellie on her left hip.

"Well, remember when I told you I had a kid to support, which is why I couldn't do all those special extra things for you like bringing you another burger because it might get me fired?" Sarah questioned. "This is her. This is my daughter, Eleanor. But we call her Ellie."

"She's so cute," Josh smiled and reached out to pat Ellie's head. "You know, she looks like you."

"I'm kind of glad for that," Sarah nodded. "If she looked like her father, I'd have to think about him and we're not exactly on the best of terms right now."

"You're not with Ellie's father?" Josh asked, leaning his face against the bars. "Are you seeing anyone right now?"

"No, and I'm not even looking," Sarah replied. "And if I was, what makes you think I'd pick you? You're a bad demon who's in trouble for all sorts of things. I want stability. I don't want to be with someone who'll get me kidnapped and separated from my kid."

"You don't know that that would happen if you were with me!" Josh cried. "You're just making a very judgmental assumption and I would like an apology."

"No," Sarah said firmly as he made faces at Ellie and she giggled. "Now eat your food before it gets cold, unless you don't want it and would like me to take it back."

"No, I don't want you to take it back," Josh replied and gestured for Sarah to hand him his plate. "It's the only hot food I get all day. I'm not going to waste it." He took the plate when it was handed to him and shoveled the French fries, applesauce, and chicken into his mouth.

"Slow down," Sarah remonstrated. "Or you're going to choke. What do you want me to get you for a drink?"

"I want a soda," he said with his mouth full. "And you can leave the kid here while you get it. I'll watch her."

"Thanks for the offer, but no," Sarah replied dryly. "I think you're a terrible influence."

She took Ellie out of the room and the little girl smiled at him over her mother's shoulder, something Sarah, of course, didn't see.

On the way back to the snack bar, Sarah ran into AnnaLynne. "How's Josh?" AnnaLynne wanted to know. "Is he behaving himself? I've noticed that he's developed a kind of fondness for you."

"I don't know if you could call it that, but if you want me to spy on him for you, you'll have to pay me more than they do at the snack bar," Sarah told her.

"Would you be open to that being an option?" AnnaLynne asked.

"Why?" Sarah wanted to know. "Why would it be an option? You have him caught and locked up. How much more trouble could he cause?"

"Don't ask that," AnnaLynne begged. "Just don't. His dad is out and about and he's trouble. We don't want him coming to get his son free."

"Ah," Sarah nodded. "Okay. So…will I be paid extra to spy on him? It'll be worth it if I am. Plus, I think he doesn't mind Ellie."

"There you go!" AnnaLynne smiled. "Wonderful! Thank you for doing this for me."

"You're welcome," Sarah smiled. "And…thanks for letting me bring Ellie to work with me today. It was a big help. Thanks for putting in a good word for me with your dad."

"You're welcome," AnnaLynne smiled and reached out to hold Ellie for a moment. "It's my pleasure."

Sarah left Ellie with AnnaLynne while she went to get Josh's drink, and when she returned with it, she found him tossing a phone on the floor of the cage beside him and crumpling up what looked like a map.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"It depends," Josh told her. "How much did you see?"

"Why are you so defensive?" Sarah questioned. "Are you doing something you shouldn't?"

"Don't you figure I am since I'm a bad person?" Josh asked. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be locked up like an animal, would I? You think I _like_ being caged like this? Can you blame me for wanting to get out?"

"No, but if you just learn to behave yourself, I'm sure they'll let you free," Sarah told him.

"Oh, I don't think it'll be as simple as that," Josh sighed.

Sarah gave him a long look and then ran to tell Klaus and AnnaLynne. "I think Josh is trying to escape!" she said. "What are you going to do about it?"

"How do you know he's trying to escape?" Klaus asked. "What clues are there?"

"Well, I think he was talking on the phone to someone before I came in with his drink." Sarah remarked. "And…and I saw him trying to hide some sort of map. But I admit he didn't actually _say_ that that's what he plans on doing."

"Of course not," Klaus scoffed. "He'd be a fool if he did, wouldn't he?"

"So what are you going to do?" Sarah asked.

"I think the question is, what are _you_ going to do?" AnnaLynne corrected, a smile on her lips. "His escape is going to be connected to whatever he's planning, right? So if, oh, he escapes and decides to take you along for the ride, we'll have someone on the inside."

"You want me to be _bait_?" Sarah's eyes widened and she shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever be paid enough for this."

"Well, it'll be more than what you get for working at the snack bar," AnnaLynne told her. "That's true."

"Yeah, but still!" Sarah told her. "You want me to be okay with possibly being kidnapped by a man, however attractive he may be, who could very well be a lunatic!"

"Oh, he's not," Klaus tried to reassure her. "He kidnapped another girl, AnnaLynne's brother's girlfriend. And she just…she just really gave him the business. He came out of the whole thing more wounded than she did. If you have even the least bit of knowledge of any sort of self-defense, you should be fine."

"I hope you're right," Sarah sucked in her breath and reminded herself to grab one of her father's pistols and stick it in her purse before she came to work the next day. "Cause if you're wrong, things will not end well."

* * *

"Well, what do you think?" Josh asked when Sarah came to work the next day and found him out of his cage and walking around as free as a bird.

"Nice," Sarah told him. "How in the world did that happen? When did they let you out?"

"Klaus came and let me out this morning first thing," Josh smiled. "I don't know what it is that I've done to make them change their minds about me, but whatever it is, I'm glad for it." He smiled. "Now that I'm out and safe…would you go out with me? Please? Just this once? And if you don't have a good time, I'll leave you alone, I swear. You can even bring your daughter if you want. I don't mind. I like her."

"Okay," Sarah nodded. "I think that might be best."

"It can even be a group date if you don't want to be alone with me just yet," Josh continued.

"You just know exactly what to say, don't you?" Sarah told him. "Not that I would be afraid to be alone with you now, but my dad's a bit conservative and it will probably comfort him to know that I'll have others with me."

"Anything I can do to please," Josh shrugged. "So…you want to meet me here after you finish with work?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded, making a note to call her father at lunch and tell him not to wait dinner cause she'd be going out instead. "That sounds great. I would love to. And…thanks for inviting Ellie to come along too. That really makes things easier for me."

"Where's she now?" Josh asked. "Did you bring her?"

"Yes, I brought her," Sarah nodded. "But she's with Klaus and AnnaLynne right now."

Josh raised an eyebrow. "You're okay with your daughter being around a lot of demon prisoners?" He asked.

"Well, AnnaLynne promised she wouldn't let her get hurt, so I'm not worried," Sarah said. "Well, it was nice talking to you. I gotta get to work. See you tonight?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded and smiled at her. "See you then."

* * *

It was right after she got off work that Sarah went to get Ellie. "What are you gonna do now?" AnnaLynne asked when she handed her over.

"Josh and I have a date," Sarah said. "He told me Ellie could come along too, but I just…I have no idea what we're going to do, and I'm a bit scared. He said it was a 'group date'. Something tells me it doesn't quite mean what I think it does. What if he just gets a bunch of demons together and tries to kill me?"

"Well, I hope you're going into this with a weapon," AnnaLynne told her. "Or at least some knowledge about how to fight."

"I have a pistol in my purse," Sarah told her. "Don't know how well that will protect me against a demon, but it makes me feel more secure at any rate."

"If it makes you feel any better," AnnaLynne told her, "Josh was getting a bit cocky today and Klaus got a good look at that map he had. We know the basic idea of where he'll probably take you. He's really not the brightest, is he?" She shrugged. "Oh, well. At least he's got his good looks. Good luck, Sarah."

"Thank you," Sarah told her.

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head. " _Thank you."_ She then ran to the room where Josh was waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers and a little teddy bear for Ellie.

"Well, aren't you sweet?" She smiled as he gave her and Ellie both kisses on the cheek. She tried to be relaxed and not grab the gun in her purse and pistol whip him. That would ruin everything. She followed him out to the car and after they strapped Ellie in, Sarah tried to go and sit next to him in the passenger's seat, but he shook his head.

"No, you want to sit in the back," he told her. "It's _much_ roomier back there. Gives you more space to stretch out."

Sarah thought this was very odd, but after resisting a little, decided to play along. "All right," she said and got in the backseat next to her daughter. "I'll sit back here with Ellie." Then, as he sat in the driver's seat, she asked, "So…where are your friends? Are they going to meet us wherever we're going?"

"Yes," Josh grinned at her in the overhead mirror. "You could say that." She then noticed a burly man rising up from the trunk behind her and placing a rag covered with chloroform over her mouth until she passed out, the last thing she heard being the sound of Ellie's sobbing in her ears as she was presumably quieted as well and they were driven out of the gym parking lot.

* * *

"Where am I?" Sarah asked as she came to, her head throbbing and her vision blurry as she felt around for her purse and her gun but found nothing.

"Glad to see you finally woke up," Josh's voice sounded in her ears. "I was worried you wouldn't. We can start our date now. Why don't you meet my friends?"

Sarah blinked a couple of times and looked around, a feeling of déjà vu coming back to her. She was in a cave or underground or something, just like she had been with John when Ellie was born, surrounded by evil looking men. _Lots_ of them, and probably all intent on doing her harm. "Where am I?" She asked. "What am I doing here? And what in the hell did you do with Ellie? She better not be hurt, or I swear…!"

"She's not," Josh told her as he cuddled the little girl who was writhing wildly in his grip. "She's fine."

"She doesn't look fine," Sarah snapped. "Give her to me."

Josh smiled. "I will," he said, and gestured around the room. "But not until you say hello to my friends: Jim, Tom, Billy, Bruce, Jack, John, Wayne, and Roy."

"Hi," Sarah said, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she greeted Josh's cohorts. She wondered what kind of demons they were.

"Hi," they all greeted her at once.

"Now that we're all acquainted, we're gonna have a good time down here," Josh remarked and, to her relief, handed Ellie back to Sarah. "We certainly are."


	35. Making A New Impression

"Why did you bring me here?" Sarah demanded, holding Ellie so that she didn't have to look at any of the scary men that surrounded them. "What was the point? Why did you trick me? I'm not a demon or anything. And if this is really your idea of a date…someone needs to teach you how to treat women!"

Josh paused and stepped back, thinking about what he would tell her. She was right that he had no reason to wish her ill…at least he _thought_ he didn't now that she'd pointed it out. He'd never planned on killing her. She wasn't connected to his brother, or…wait. "That's a good question," he remarked and then turned to one of his cronies. "Why did we bring her here again? Cause she's right when she says she's not a demon or anyone I should wish ill."

"Yes, but her sister is Dorian's wife!" Tom reminded him, wondering how Josh had gotten to be the head of the operation when they were all so much smarter than he was. "Imagine what you could do with that! Knowing that you have the present queen's sister as a hostage! You could get her to step down or else you'll kill her sister. You could hold her for a hefty ransom. We all could use the money."

"Isn't that a bit wasteful?" Josh asked. "To go to all that trouble to bring her here only to throw her away after we get what we want? Surely there can be some other use for her." He thought a moment as the men groaned, and locked eyes with Sarah. "How about we just do what we said we were gonna do? You come with me to meet my father and we'll tell him you're my girlfriend. He might actually like me then?"

"And what would happen if I told you I would rather be ripped apart by demons?" Sarah spat.

"Would you really?" Josh questioned. "That would mean that little Ellie would be without a mother, wouldn't she? I don't think what I'm asking is so difficult."

"You're going to leave Ellie alone," Sarah said firmly. "If I do this for you, she won't be involved anymore."

"Of course not," Josh shook his head. "I don't know what I'd be able to do with a child her age, anyway."

"All right," Sarah sighed. "I'll play your stupid game, even though I don't know why you're doing it and I think you're being absolutely silly. But you have to let me go. You have to let me out so I can take Ellie home. It's probably past her bedtime by now."

Josh sighed. "Oh, all right. This was supposed to be a kidnapping. I was planning on keeping you here for days. But since we have this new plan which will probably be more effective in the long run. But first, before I let you go, you have to promise to come with me and see my father. Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise," Sarah nodded, reaching out to take his hand. "I promise that I will come with you and see your father and whatever else you want me to do. Just please…let me go!"

"All right," Josh nodded. "Come on." He led her and Ellie to his car and drove her home, parking down the street from Matthew and Christine's house cause he couldn't bring himself to face her father after what he'd done.

"Thank you for doing this," Sarah told him. "For not going through with hurting me or Ellie."

"You're welcome," Josh sighed. "It's more evidence of my failure as a demon. At least that's what my father would say."

"Well, we'll change his mind about you," Sarah told him, stunned that she was talking so gently and kindly to a man who had just kidnapped her and her daughter and had been planning to hold them for ransom. "I promise. Would you like me to write down my phone number so you can call me and tell me when we're going to go see your father?"

"Okay," Josh replied. "I'm sure I have a pen and paper around here somewhere…" He poked around in his glove compartment and found what he was looking for, then Sarah sat Ellie down on the driveway beside her for a moment, writing down her number and handing it to Josh through the open window. "There you go," she said. "I'll be waiting for your call."

"Good," Josh nodded. "Goodnight, Sarah. And I…I'm sorry about what happened."

"Thank you," Sarah told him and helped her toddler daughter get to her feet so they could walk into the house together. I'm glad to hear that. Goodnight." She then turned and walked with Ellie toward the house, wondering what she would say when her father asked her what had gone on that night.

* * *

"How was your date?" Matthew asked when Sarah and Ellie got into the house. He was still awake, just as Sarah had suspected.

"It was great," Sarah replied. She knew that if she'd told him the truth, he would go nuts. "Just a good night. Ellie had a good time too."

Matthew stood up. "And where is the young man? Did he just drop you off without coming in to meet your father? I don't know if I like that."

"You'll meet him eventually, but now it's too early," Sarah told him. "I have to meet his father too, at some point, so I promise you'll get your turn."

"Tell me, just to ease my mind," Matthew said to her, "is he a good young man? Will I approve of him?"

"Well, I should think so," Sarah told him. "After what happened with Junior, don't you think I'd be choosier this time?"

"I hope so," Matthew sighed. "For your own sake and for Ellie's. I think you both need somebody who can give you stability and help ease your burden."

"Oh, it's not really so bad," Sarah told him. "I'm managing just fine."

"You're handling things remarkably," Matthew agreed. "I just wish it didn't have to be that way."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Me neither."

Then Ellie yawned and Matthew kissed them both goodnight so they could go get some rest. Cause there was no denying that after what they'd gone through, they needed it. Not that he would ever know that, though. Cause telling him about what Josh had done, and what she and Josh were going to do, would just worry him when it didn't need to be that way.

* * *

The next day, instead of taking Ellie to work with her, Sarah dropped her off at a place where she didn't go very often: Ellie's _other_ grandparents' house. Although she and Junior had parted on very bad terms and she often still resented him for what he'd done, his parents were good people who hadn't done anything wrong and had actually felt bad about their son's actions, wanting so badly to help her and not being shy about saying so.

"Sorry it's been so long since you've seen Ellie," Sarah apologized to Junior's mother, Mary. "I'm gonna try to be better about giving you equal time with my parents."

"Thanks," Mary told her. "I know you might not like coming here or seeing us because we make you think of what our son did, but it's very sweet of you to give us a chance." She took Ellie and led Sarah into their living room, which now had cream-colored walls, blue carpet, and green and blue furniture, along with some wooden tables.

When Ellie was playing with some toys on the living room floor, Mary led Sarah to the kitchen table where a pile of envelopes, surprisingly addressed to Sarah herself, lay in a stack on the counter.

"What are all these?" Sarah asked, picking them up. "And why do you have them if they're addressed to me?"

"We wondered that, which is why they're opened," Mary told her. "I apologize for that, but we had to know. They're…they're from Sean. And each one…each one has a check in it. He's been sending one every month. Started about six months ago, as you can see."

"Wait," Sarah froze for a moment, unbelieving, then got herself to empty one of the envelopes. Wrapped in a brief letter was indeed a five-hundred dollar check. _Offer this to Sarah,_ the brief note the check had been wrapped in said. _I don't know if she'll take it, which is why I'm not sending it to her directly, and if she doesn't, that's fine. But I…I want her to know that I realize I need to help her out somehow, so here's how I'm doing it._

"Oh, my god," Sarah got out.

"I know," Mary replied. "And I'm sorry I've had these for so long, but he put a spell on them so that you can deposit them whenever you want if you choose to take them. I know I shouldn't have kept them for so long without telling you, but I just…I didn't know how you would react. I know you're keen on doing things for yourself."

"True, I am," Sarah nodded. "Which is why I got that job and won't take Daddy's money. But I see _no_ problem with taking money that Junior is sending for the care of the child that he fathered. It's nice to see him take some sort of responsibility, even if he never comes back and actually _sees_ his daughter." She paused putting the checks in her purse and smiled at Mary. "Thank you for watching Ellie and for the help you've given me when I've needed it, even though every time you see me, I trash your son, which I know can't be pleasant for you."

"Well, it's not like what you're saying isn't true, and you're entitled to your frustrations," Mary told her. "I just hope things are a bit easier for you now."

"They should be," Sarah smiled, giving Mary a hug and Ellie a kiss, and then leaving the house so she could deposit the checks before she went to work.

* * *

"Tell me again why you're making us have this dinner party?" Katherine asked Rodan sometime later. It was finally the day that Josh was going to introduce him to Sarah. "Who's coming? I hope it's not anyone like you who thinks they can make eyes at me. If they do, I'll break their fingers."

"Oh, calm down," Rodan huffed. "It's only my son. And his girlfriend. The first one in a while that he's brought to meet me. I hope he picked someone nice this time. And someone who's smarter than he is. But I don't have much hope."

"Why are you talking about your son like that?" Katherine questioned. "Do you hate him or something?"

"Well, I suppose he's nice enough, but he's of no use to me," Rodan explained. "I mean, I can always count on his brother to help me further my goals, but Josh…no matter how many chances I give him, it never works out."

"Oh," Katherine nodded. "I can't wait to meet him." She wouldn't admit it to Rodan, but she couldn't wait to meet his outcast son. She knew what it felt like to have your parents think you were a screw up, even when you tried your hardest not to be, and she thought that maybe she could help him out.

The tension in the air was palpable as the time of Josh and Sarah's arrival approached. Rodan and Katherine had both dressed up in their best and Rodan was perched on the edge of one of the black leather chairs in the living room and gripping the armrests so hard that his knuckles were white.

"Are you okay?" Katherine asked him as she adjusted the skirt of her purple dress. "What the hell is the matter with you? You're never this tense."

"Well, I have a terrible feeling of foreboding that this evening won't go well," Rodan replied and adjusted his tie.

"Will you lay off your son for two seconds?" Katherine asked. "He might actually make it a good night. Who knows?"

* * *

When the doorbell rang, she was the first to jump up and go answer it, although how she could run in those black heels she was wearing was a mystery to Rodan. "Hi, I'm Katherine," he heard her say. "Come in, have a seat."

Despite her warm welcome, Josh came in slowly, his eyes avoiding his father's at first. "Hello, Dad," he said. "Thanks for letting us come over tonight."

"It's no problem," Rodan told him. "And you can look at me, you know. It's not like you'll become stone if we lock eyes." He turned to face Sarah after Josh looked at him. "That's nice. Now, dear, what's your name?"

"I'm Sarah," she shook his hand. "You have a very nice house."

"Thank you," Rodan told her. "I'm actually surprised it looks as good as it does cause I really haven't been here very long. Go ahead and have a seat if you'd like. Can I get either of you a drink?"

"Yes," Josh and Sarah replied at the same time. It had been so long since she'd had a drink that she figured a glass of wine wouldn't hurt.

When he had his beer, she had her wine, and they were all sitting in the living room, Josh was very surprised when the first comment directed at him was a positive one from Katherine.

"That's a very nice suit, Josh," she remarked. "Is it new?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded. "Just bought it yesterday so it's taking some getting used to. I don't wear suits very often, but I thought it might be nice to do so for this little get together."

"Isn't it a nice suit, Rodan?" Katherine asked him pointedly. "Isn't it nice that your son chose to dress up?"

"Yes," Rodan nodded. "He looks very well-put together. And I was going to mention that. I didn't need your prodding."

"Oh, all right," Katherine nodded. "But he clearly made an effort for you and I just wanted to make sure that you didn't ignore it."

Josh laughed out loud at the put out look on his father's face. He had clearly never been talked to in such a way and it was amusing to see him so unsettled.

But that didn't last long and to put himself more at ease, Rodan quickly turned his attention to Sarah. "So," he told her, "you seem nice. How did you and Josh meet?"

"I work at the snack bar at the demon gym," Sarah explained. "He goes there a lot so we see each other often. We got to talking and things went well, so when he asked me out, I said 'Yes'."

"And how has your time with him gone?" Rodan questioned. "Have you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes," Sarah replied without missing a beat. "And he's very good to my little girl, as well, so that's an added bonus."

"You find my son worthwhile to be around?" Rodan questioned.

"Yes!" Sarah nodded. "I like him very much. He says that you and he don't have the best relationship you could yet, and I hope you're able to take the time to improve it. I think you'd learn a thing or two."

"Would I?" Rodan raised an eyebrow. "Well, we'll have to see."

They finished their drinks and then Katherine decided that it might be best for them to have dinner. She sat Sarah between Rodan and Josh with herself on Rodan's other side. When the soup was brought out, they lapsed into silence instead of trying to talk, and that was basically how the whole dinner went, at least between Josh and Rodan, although Sarah had a lot to say.

When it was finally time for the evening to be over, they had made less progress than Katherine would have liked, but it had at least started in a good direction.

"Don't worry," she whispered to Josh as Rodan talked to Sarah. "I know your dad wasn't very flexible tonight, but I can work on him."

"Thanks," Josh told her. "But it was actually the most peaceful evening I've had with him in years, so that's something."

* * *

"So…what did you think of tonight?" Josh asked as they parked in Mary and Liam's driveway. "I'm sorry if it was boring."

"Oh, no," Sarah shook her head. "It was nice to get out and have actual conversations with grown-ups while wearing a nice dress. I enjoyed myself. I see what you mean about the troubles you and your father are having, though. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Josh sighed. "I'm used to it by now. But I think…I think you made a good impression on him so that he's rethinking how he sees me. Cause if someone like you can think I'm worthwhile, then obviously I'm not the same man I used to be."

"Well, I hope not," Sarah told him. "I hope you can learn from the past." She then got out of the car and grabbed Ellie, then Josh drove her home, choosing not to go inside again.

"Next time you _have_ to come in," Sarah told him. "If you avoid my father much longer, he literally might not let me go out with you any more cause he already suspects you're some sort of shifty fiend."

"All right," Josh nodded. "Next time, I'll come in." To her surprise, he gently kissed her cheek then. "Good night, Sarah."

"Goodnight, Josh," Sarah told him and then watched him drive away before going inside. She left Ellie with her mother and then went to make a phone call to AnnaLynne with the details of the date.

"How did it go?" AnnaLynne asked. "What's the evil plan? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sarah told her. "He was gonna kidnap me and use me for ransom or as a way to get Selina off the throne, but…now I think he wants to use me in some power play with his father. He wants to be in Rodan's good graces, maybe so he can rule in his stead someday or something."

"Be careful," AnnaLynne advised. "He's a blue one and they're the most insidious of all the demon types. They come across as gentle and harmless, but then they get in your head and soon…you're trapped and unable to get out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Sarah promised. "Thank you for reminding me."

"You do that," AnnaLynne urged. "Not just for your sake, but for Ellie's as well."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I have to take care of Ellie, don't I?"

"Yeah," AnnaLynne told her. "At least until she can take care of herself. And that won't happen for a while yet."

"That couldn't be closer to the truth," Sarah agreed. "That's all I have for you."

"All right," AnnaLynne told her. "Goodnight, Sarah."

"Goodnight, AnnaLynne," Sarah told her before ending the call and lying down in her bed to read before going to sleep.


	36. An Upfront and Honest Relationship

"I have to say that I'm surprised and pleased how well you behaved when my son and his girlfriend were here," Rodan told Katherine one morning as the sun rose and shown through the window and they watched it from their bed. "Honestly, I was expecting a lot worse."

"Yeah, well, _someone_ had to be the nice one," Katherine's eyes narrowed as she punched Rodan in the arm. "I expected better from you. I mean, it was your _son_ who was here, and he _clearly_ wanted attention and positive reinforcement, yet I was the one who had to give it to him. What is in your brain, Rodan? Why can't you give a damn about your child?"

"Why do you care?" Rodan cried. "It's none of your damn business, so just stay out of it!"

"No!" Katherine shook her head. "I can't stand idly by and watch you treat Josh horribly. I can't. If you didn't want me to be involved, you shouldn't have brought me into whatever you've got going on with him in the first place."

"Oh, damn," Rodan scoffed, wishing he knew of some spell or something that would make her forget she'd ever heard of Josh and the problems he'd had with him at all.

"That's right," Katherine nodded and got out of bed to put a robe on. "I'm hungry. Get me some food."

"Why do I have to do it?" Rodan asked. " _You're_ the one who's already up."

"Well, it wouldn't take much effort for you to get out of bed too," Katherine told him. "So get moving! Get off your nicely shaped ass right this minute!"

Rodan looked her in the eye. "If you hadn't said it was nicely shaped, I would still feel like fighting with your right now," he told her, grabbing her and kissing her deeply before pushing her back onto the mattress and leaving the room to go get food.

* * *

He expected her to wait for him, but was surprised when she came to join him in the kitchen a few minutes later. "I thought you wanted me to serve you," he told her.

"I did," Katherine nodded and sat down. "But then I figured that you'd probably get my breakfast all wrong, so I came to check on you."

"You can say what you want, but I think you just wanted to be around me longer," Rodan told her and got out some bacon.

"Why are you doing that yourself?" Katherine questioned. "Don't you have servants or something to do it for you?"

"I will, someday," Rodan assured her. "When my plans finally work."

"Just for my information, what _are_ your plans?" Katherine wanted to know. "Tell me. I'm _insanely_ curious."

"My plans are my business," Rodan told her. "They don't involve you, so you don't need to know them."

"Well, it's a real shame that you feel that way," Katherine told him, coming up behind him and giving his long hair a hard and painful tug. "Cause I have carried out quite a few plots in my life time that have left people scarred for life, including the present demon queen. Just something to think about."

Rodan's jaw dropped a little and the coffee cup he'd been planning to put her coffee in fell to the floor and shattered, he was so shocked. "I don't believe you!" He whispered. "You have to be making that up!"

"Oh, but I'm not," Katherine made her way toward him, a smile on her lips. She leaned in close and the next time she spoke, their lips were practically touching. "It would be a mistake to underestimate me. I mean, you do what you want, but if you leave me out in the cold, I won't hesitate to laugh as you fail. You try and do this on your own and things go wrong, I won't let you forget it."

"Yeah, I bet you won't," Rodan nodded, baring his teeth. "I suppose I could let you help me…if you really are as good as you say." He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Are you?"

"I already said I was," Katherine told him. "How many times do I have to repeat it before you get it through that thick head of yours?"

"Stop talking about it," Rodan told her. "It doesn't help. Why don't you show me? Show me how devious you are."

Katherine chuckled. "I've never done things when I've been ordered to," she said. "But when I feel like it, when I feel like being devious, you're gonna regret ever asking me for an example and wish that you'd just believed me."

"Is that so?" Rodan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, it is," Katherine replied. "Now, are you gonna make breakfast or what? I'm starving!"

Rodan just rolled his eyes and strode back to the coffee machine while Katherine sat with her legs crossed at the ankles on the kitchen table. Yep, she had him exactly where she wanted him. This was good.

* * *

"You're sleeping on the couch tonight," Katherine told Rodan that evening. "So you can think about what you did to your son."

Katherine wasn't in the bed at the time, so Rodan looked at her for a moment, then, with a zap of his magic, the bed caved in. Completely broke in two.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Katherine asked, her jaw dropping. "No bed is as good as that one. Where am _I_ going to sleep?"

"You can pick anywhere," Rodan replied. "But I feel I've already paid my debt for what happened between me and Josh. You can sleep on the floor, a sofa, in a much smaller bed…"

"I don't _want_ a smaller bed!" Katherine huffed and stomped on his foot. She was wearing high-heeled sandal slippers with little pom-poms on the toes, so it hurt when she did it.

"Oh, shit!" Rodan cried and collapsed on the broken bed, then looked at Katherine for a moment, pulling her down with him and kissing her deeply. "You're not going anywhere," he told her. "You're staying right here." He held her tight against himself, laughing as she squirmed to get free.

"I'll bite you!" She screamed. "I'll rip your fucking throat out and it will hurt!"

"Oh, please do," Rodan told her, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye. "That'll do us both a favor. It'll turn you into a demon faster, which is fine with me."

"What the hell?" Katherine hissed. "I already know I'm turning into one from all that demon wine you keep giving me, so why prolong the inevitable?"

After some jockeying for position, she managed to get herself on top of him, baring her teeth, her eyes becoming dark and veiny as she unzipped him. She grinned at him before sinking her fangs into his neck and riding him hard, his laughter ringing in her ears. Whether it was from the pain of the bite or the orgasm she didn't know. She let this go on for a little while, and then abruptly changed her mind and sat back, staring down at him.

"What did you stop for?" He asked, sounding disappointed. "That was…I enjoyed that."

"Well, maybe I'm not as ready to turn into a demon as I thought I was," she said, leaning down to lick the remaining blood off his neck and kiss down his chest. He then took her hand and kissed the palm and fingers.

"What a shame," he sighed. "I really think you'd like it."

"I don't think you would," Katherine told him. "It would kill you to know that I'm just as powerful as you are."

"Oh, don't make me laugh," Rodan replied. "Demon or not, you'll _never_ be as powerful as I am. Never. And that's something you'll just have to deal with."

"Well, lucky for me then that power isn't everything," Katherine grinned down at him. "Especially when the person using it isn't always smart. You might have the power, but I have no doubt I've got brains." She then let out a cry as Rodan sneakily switched positions on her and she found herself looking up at his smirking face as he ran his hands over her face and neck, and she let out a moan as she felt him bury himself inside her.

"So are you telling me you only like me for my looks?" He asked her.

"Well, yeah," Katherine nodded. "You should know that by now. You're not a nice person!"

"Neither are you, from what I've heard," Rodan reminded her. "Luckily, that's not something I look for in a woman. Never have, never will."

Katherine nodded. "Well, it's good you're up front about it. I respect that."

"Oh, no!" Rodan cried. "We respect something about each other? What has this relationship come to?"

"Why don't you shut up and kiss me again?" Katherine suggested. "It's stupid to be in the position that we're in and do nothing but talk."

"You know, you're right," Rodan agreed, pushing into her again and making her laugh. "Nice to see there's another thing we agree on."

After they went on like this for some time longer, they collapsed in a heap on the broken bed, the blankets covering their bodies but not their bare feet as they fell asleep with their arms around each other, their breathing steady and the only sound in the darkness.

* * *

"Good morning!" Rodan smiled and held out a coffee cup as Katherine limped into the kitchen, a hand on her sore back. "Why don't you drink this? You look like you could use it. And are you wearing my shirt?"

"Yeah, it was right next to the bed where you threw it, so I just picked it up," Katherine replied, eyes narrowed. She was very relieved to see that he was wearing a shirt with his boxers. "What of it? And if you must know, yes, I tossed and turned last night. Thank you for noticing. What's wrong with me wearing your shirt?"

"Nothing," Rodan grinned. "I just think it's nice when you wear my clothes. And take the coffee, I insist."

"No," Katherine shook her head. "I'll make some of my own in a minute, thank you."

"Why won't you take the one I made you?" Rodan asked. "I didn't put anything bad in it."

"Oh, how do I know that?" Katherine questioned. "It would be a perfect time to spike it with more demon wine, wouldn't it? Especially after I took all that blood from you."

"But I didn't, I swear," Rodan told her. "It's just coffee. And the fact that you took all that blood from me was your own choice, not mine. You can't blame me for that."

"I'm making my own," Katherine replied firmly. "Thank you." Grunting as she hoisted herself to her feet, she then made her way to the coffee machine and deftly made herself a cup, pouring some blood in it and stirring it up. "Oh, that's good," she said, closing her eyes and taking a sip. "And something I needed very much."

There was a silence for a moment before Rodan said, "So after you finish that, would you like to go back to bed?"

Katherine scoffed. "Don't you _ever_ have anything else on your mind?"

"Oh, stop," Rodan told her as he came up behind her chair and ran her silky dark hair through his fingers. "You were thinking the same thing. Admit it."

"Maybe I was," Katherine nodded and watched the coffee drip into the cup. "But not now. You need to calm down."

"I'm a demon," he said, coming up behind her, grabbing her, and pulling her to him backwards. "That's not what I do. And when you become a demon yourself, you'll understand that."

This made Katherine chuckle. "If every demon is just a bunch of hormones out of control, it's a surprise to me that you can get anything done at all."

"I'm the smartest kind of demon there is," Rodan informed her. "I won't bore you with the details of how my kind has been viewed with fear and scorn by the other demon types over the years, but it's true. It's because they fear our powers."

"Are you serious?" Katherine asked as he kissed her neck. "Or are you just being dramatic?"

"No, I'm absolutely serious," Rodan told her. "That's why I want to overthrow Dorian and have the position in society that I deserve as well as make sure the same happens for my own kind. We've been oppressed for way too long." He pounded his fist on the table and she jumped. "Too long!"

"So how can I help?" Katherine asked. "Cause I _want_ to help."

"I know," Rodan nodded and nibbled on her earlobe. "And when I think of a way for you to do that, I'll let you know."


	37. Covert Affairs

"So tell me more about this guy you're seeing," Selina told Sarah. "Is he nice?"

"Well, he's interesting, that's for sure," Sarah said. "He's…he's a demon. I haven't told Daddy yet, but I thought you would understand. And the thing about Josh and me…we were only supposed to go out once so I could help him impress his father, who doesn't think much of him. But I just…I just know I'm going to see him again."

"Oh, I'm sure Daddy won't mind you seeing a demon!" Selina replied. "I mean, if he's okay with me dating a demon, he shouldn't object when _you_ do it."

"Well, that's what a reasonable person would think," Sarah agreed. "But we both know that when it comes to certain things, Daddy is _not_ a reasonable person. I mean, he had a fit about me being pregnant with Ellie at first, but did he ever complain about any of _your_ pregnancies?"

"No," Selina shook her head after a momentary pause as she looked around her and Dorian's kitchen. "But then again, for a while, he didn't actually know about them, so how _could_ he complain?"

"That's a good point," Sarah conceded. "I'm sorry that you didn't get to see as much of him when you were growing up as I have."

"Actually, I saw a lot more of him than you would think, he just didn't want me to remember because he was afraid I would blab to Mama and freak her out cause he was supposed to be dead." She paused. "But the sad thing was that even at that time, the Army did such a poor job of keeping track of the living, injured, and dead that he could have come home, claimed his death announcement had been wrong, and it would have been totally credible."

"Well, damn!" Sarah reached out and touched Selina's arm. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Selina sighed. "I've mostly come to terms with it by now, but I know I'm not completely over it because this one time I came to visit while you were at work, saw Daddy with Ellie, and I just…I felt like I'd been punched in the gut…like I was an intruder or something, you know?"

"Not really, but I'm sorry you feel that way still," Sarah told her.

"Thanks," Selina sniffled. "But enough about me. You want me to come with you to tell Daddy about Josh? The sooner you get it over with, the better you'll feel."

"Actually," Sarah flushed a little. "I know this will sound kind of cowardly, but…I was thinking that you and Dorian could tell Daddy the first time and I could talk with him later, once he's had time to adjust. That's cowardly, isn't it?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I think it's smart! So yeah, I'll talk to Dorian. See what he says. And can you tell me about his dad? Did you get the guy's name?"

"Rodan," Sarah said. "Josh's father's name is Rodan. When I met him, he seemed not so bad."

"Oh, god!" Selina began chewing on her thumb nail.

"What?" Sarah asked. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Selina told her quickly. "I'll see what I can do with Daddy and Dorian, I promise. Don't worry about that."

* * *

"I have a favor to ask _you_ now," Selina told Dorian a few hours later. "I mean, you asked me if it would be okay for me to have an entourage without complaint and now I have something to ask you."

"Okay," Dorian nodded. "What is it?"

"Well, my sister Sarah is dating a guy, and he's a demon. We're not quite sure how Daddy will react because Josh isn't as…polished as you, let's say." She paused, trying to get up the strength and courage to tell him the other thing Sarah had told her: that her new guy friend had a father named Rodan, and that she'd actually met him. Finally, she just blurted it out. "And the guy Sarah is seeing is Rodan's son."

"Oh?" Dorian tried to keep his face calm. "Well, you can just tell your sister that she has to break off that relationship. It's obvious that he's not dating her because he likes her. It's to get to _you_!"

"Why do I have to do it?" Selina groaned. "God, you sound just like my dad! I knew it was a bad idea to ask you to help me help Daddy adjust to Sarah's new relationship!"

"Well, then why did you ask?" Dorian questioned.

"Because I thought you would be able to put your feelings about him aside and help me!" Selina cried. "But apparently, I was wrong. That's okay, though. Cause I don't need you to come with me and see my father. It probably would have helped the case, but I can manage."

"Good," Dorian shouted. "I'm glad to hear that. If you keep going on like this, though, you're going to get yourself killed. I can only do so much to protect you if you don't do your part of keeping out of trouble!"

"Well, maybe I don't _need_ your help then!" Selina told him. "Maybe I can just handle my own safety."

"Fat chance!" Dorian scoffed. "You have no idea what you're up against!"

"Maybe not at the moment," Selina conceded, grabbing her purse and heading to the door to go talk to her father about Sarah alone. "But I'm smarter than you think. I can figure it out."

Then the door slammed and Dorian rubbed his temples. He didn't know what to do with her. He should have seen this coming, that she wouldn't react well to what he'd said. But he had to say it. Why was it so hard for her to _not_ do things that would get her hurt? He had to get his mind off this, cause there was no good answer. He got out his phone and called Jim.

"Everything all right, boss?" Jim questioned.

"No, not really," Dorian sighed. "Did you know that Rodan's gotten his son to romance Selina's sister? He's a sneaky bastard, isn't he? And Selina's thinking it's all romantic. She actually asked me to help her convince her father that it's okay for Josh and Sarah to be together. Can you believe that? You would think after all the time she's been with me, she'd not be so naïve, but apparently she's learned nothing."

"Well, have you told her _everything_ about you and Rodan?" Jim asked. "About how desperately he wants to take your place as head of the demon world and will do anything to make that happen?"

"Yes!" Dorian cried. "And that doesn't seem to matter to her! She just thinks it's okay to make her sister and Rodan's son be a couple." He paused. "Maybe if she won't see reason on her own, I can recruit her father. I can get him to talk sense into them both. That would work."

"Don't do anything stupid that you're going to regret later," Jim warned. But his pleas fell on deaf ears as Dorian thanked him, hung up, and called Matthew.

* * *

"When were you going to tell me that you're dating a demon, Sarah?" Matthew asked as both his daughters stood just inside the door. "Come and sit down on the couch. Let's talk about this."

"That's actually what we came for," Sarah assured him. "But how do you know about it? We haven't even told you that yet. And also, I don't know if you could say I'm officially dating him since we've only been out twice and I think, but am not entirely certain, that we'll have a third date."

"I heard it from Dorian," Matthew told her. "He was nice enough to warn me."

"That…that _jerk!"_ Selina cried, balling up her fist. She tried to call Dorian a worse name, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"He was just concerned for Sarah's well-being," Matthew told his daughter. "Apparently, the man Sarah is seeing has a very dangerous father who might want you dead."

"I don't think we have anything to worry about when it comes to Josh," Sarah said. "You know the first night I went out on a date with him? Well, the 'date' consisted of him drugging me and Ellie and taking us to this underground place to hold us for some sort of ransom that Selina and Dorian would give, but then Josh decided against it, let us go, and had me go and impress his father instead. He's got good in him. We just need to give him a chance. His father clearly doesn't."

Matthew's face went white. "He…he kidnapped you? And Ellie? That's it. No. No, you're not seeing him again."

"Maybe you shouldn't have told him that," Selina whispered as Matthew stomped out of the room.

"Yeah, maybe," Sarah nodded. "I thought it would show off Josh's more merciful nature, but apparently, I was wrong."

"Next time, tell me what you're gonna say before you talk," Selina suggested.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Maybe that would be a good idea."

The next time they saw Matthew again, Christine was trailing behind him.

"Were you really kidnapped?" She asked her daughter.

"Yes!" Matthew cried. "I told you that!"

"Now remember what we agreed," Christine reminded him. "As we continue to deal with this, you're gonna let me do the talking, right?"

"Oh, I suppose," Matthew huffed and sat down hard on the sofa.

Christine nodded. "Good." Then she looked at Sarah. "Were you kidnapped?"

"Yes, but I wasn't really hurt," Sarah replied. "I mean, you couldn't tell by the time I got home that anything bad had happened."

"That's true," Christine nodded. "Both times you've come home late after work, you've seemed all right."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I got out of it fine."

"Are you positive that you can trust this guy?" Christine questioned. "Cause if you have any inkling that he might still hurt you, I hope you'd have enough sense not to go near him again."

"No, I really think his plans for me have changed," Sarah replied. "I truly don't think he'll hurt me anymore. Or Ellie." She paused. "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll keep Ellie at home until I'm sure."

In all honesty, if she hadn't been spying for Klaus and AnnaLynne, she would have been more than happy to ease her parents' minds, let common sense prevail, and break things off with Josh. But because she _was_ going undercover, she had to keep making excuses to see him. She had to, no matter how crazy it sounded.

"What do you think?" Christine asked Selina. "Do you think she'll be all right?"

"Well, if what she says is true," Selina began, "If Josh did let her go and she bounced back from whatever had been done to her relatively quickly and it doesn't seem like it will happen again…I think she'll be all right."

"And Daddy, I'll keep my pistol in my purse for emergencies," Sarah promised.

"Good," Matthew nodded. "It's not the best way to solve this situation, but I suppose it's better than nothing."

"You didn't make this much of a fuss when you found out _I_ was dating a demon," Selina pointed out to her father. "What changed?"

"Well, Dorian dresses well, and lives in a nice house, and as I recall, he never tried to kidnap or hurt you before we met him," Matthew reminded her. "Unless there's something you're not telling me."

"No," Selina shook her head. "There isn't. I swear. Dorian and I are fine. I mean, we're sort of fighting at the moment, but that…it's gonna end soon, I hope."

"I hope so too," Matthew replied, pushing back his curly dark hair, his green eyes darker than usual as he tried to hold back anger. "I just want you both to be happy and not be in relationships that cause you pain and heartache. That's very important to me."

"We know you mean well," Selina assured him. "But can…can you try and trust us? Trust Sarah? Please?"

"Yeah, I mean, after that whole Junior fiasco, I know I don't have reputation for the best judgment, but I know better now," Sarah assured him.

Matthew sighed. He really, _really_ didn't like the idea of Sarah putting herself in a situation where she might get hurt, but apparently it was the thing now to just let your daughters do what they wanted, regardless of what happened as a result. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get used to that, but it seemed like he had no choice. "Fine," he told her. "You do what you will. I trust your judgment. But…but if something goes wrong and you feel you need my help, please don't hesitate to ask for it, all right?"

"All right," Sarah said. "And Daddy…thanks. I know this was really hard for you."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded, feeling emotionally drained as Christine hugged him and gave him a smile. "You have no idea."

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" AnnaLynne asked her father when she and Klaus brought him lunch the next day. "Why the long face?"

"Why the hell did you let Josh escape your charge?" Dorian asked. "You're supposed to be guarding him and the others!"

"Well, I'm sorry!" AnnaLynne apologized. "But you know whose father he is! He's very sneaky!" She sighed. "What bad stuff is he up to now?"

"He's trying to court Selina's sister," Dorian huffed. "And we all know he's only doing that to get to Selina. Or me."

"If it's Sarah you're talking about, she's going undercover," AnnaLynne assured her father. "She's with him so she can find out his plans and then report back to Klaus and me."

"You mean…you know about all this?" Dorian asked.

"Yes," AnnaLynne nodded. "You can calm down and take a breath. It's bad for your blood pressure to be this angry."

"You know, I have no idea if this makes me feel better or not," Dorian sighed as AnnaLynne rubbed his shoulders. "What if something bad happens when she's spying? What if she gets hurt or dies? I bet Selina will get upset and find some way to make it my fault."

"No, she won't," AnnaLynne told him. "We'll explain everything. I promise."

"Why didn't you tell me about this plan of yours before you did it?" Dorian questioned.

"I tried to get her to say something, but she told me that you would just deny us the opportunity if you knew," Klaus told him. "Going ahead with it behind your back was her idea."

"Oh, my god! You weasel!" AnnaLynne shouted and tried to punch him in the face. But he stopped her.

"Now, now," Klaus grinned. "It's not nice to hurt people when you're mad at them. Civilized people use their words!"

AnnaLynne gave him a push so that he fell on his back and landed on the blue-carpeted floor of Dorian's office. "Luckily for me, I'm not a civilized person." She then fell down on top of him and kissed him.

"Oh, god," Dorian rolled his eyes. "Can't even have privacy in my own office, can I? I'm gonna leave and go get lunch. You two want anything?"

"No," AnnaLynne paused but continued to stare down into Klaus' eyes as she straddled him. "Are you fine, Klaus? Do you want something to eat?"

Klaus then moved so that he was staring down at her. "I do want something," he chuckled. "But it's not food."

"Please elaborate," AnnaLynne grinned as Klaus began nibbling on her neck. "I'm intrigued."

"Yeah," He grinned as he gave her enough space to move up her skirt and wiggle out of her panties, both stunned and pleased that she was apparently willing to have sex with him right there on the floor of her father's office. "Let me show you." He unzipped and then kissed her and she let out a cry as she felt him bury himself deep inside her, hoping that her father was out of the building so he wouldn't hear her scream.


	38. What To Do On A Third Date

"I have something to tell you," Katherine told Rodan. "I've decided that I wanted to invite Josh and Sarah over again. I think that would be fun. Don't you?"

"No," Rodan shook his head. "You know that Josh and I don't get along very well!"

"But that's because you don't give him a chance!" Katherine said. "You even admitted that he was more tolerable with Sarah around."

"Well, that's true," Rodan nodded. "But…what am I supposed to say? I don't know how to talk to him."

"I know that," Katherine nodded. "I can help. Just follow my lead, okay?"

"Fine," Rodan replied. "Go write the invitations or make the calls or whatever. Is it another dinner party? Will we have to dress nice?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Katherine shook her head as she looked around for Rodan's phone. "I think we'll do something a bit more casual this time."

"Well, that's kind," Rodan told her. "It's a nice break."

"Why?" Katherine asked, coming to play with his hair. "You look so nice in a suit!" Then she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "And it's more fun to undress you after too."

Rodan's eyes widened and he hopped to his feet. "You know, I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to wear a suit to this event if you'd like me to. It's only for a few hours, right?"

"Exactly," Katherine smiled. "It's not a million years." She then pulled her to him and gave him a big kiss before going to tell Josh about the second party, hoping that he would come, both for his own sake and Rodan's. She'd never been the warm and fuzzy type. Devoting her life to helping others, especially when it could be taking away from what _she_ wanted to do hadn't seemed very appealing. But now, seeing Josh and Rodan have a relationship that mirror her own with her parents in her human life, and remembering just how badly she wished she could have fixed things before it all went to hell, it made her want to change that policy and help Josh do what she never got to.

When she reached her and Rodan's bedroom, she debated whether to make out a formal invitation, or just give him a call. It didn't take her long to decide that just a call would do since this occasion would be much more casual than the first event had been. With that decided, she gave Josh a call and hoped he would answer.

* * *

Josh started violently when his phone rang. He wasn't expecting to be called, at least not for anything good. He tried to just let it ring in the hopes that whoever was calling would get the hint that he didn't want to be disturbed and hang up, but that didn't happen. The phone just kept ringing and ringing. Finally, with a growl, he picked it up, put it to his ear, and barked, "I don't want to talk now! I just want to be left alone!"

"I know, I'm sorry," came a voice that sounded nothing like a telemarketer or his boss. "I just…your father and I wondered if you wouldn't mind coming over again and bringing Sarah. It's much more casual than before. You don't even have to dress up!"

"Oh, all right, sure!" Josh told her. "My dad knows about this, right? You're not gonna shock him by having me suddenly show up on his doorstep? Cause he won't take kindly to that."

"No, he knows and he's okay with it!" Katherine assured him. Then she paused. "Do you think it's a bad idea of mine to try and help you and your father have a better relationship? Is it a problem worth fixing?"

"Well, I sure hope so," Josh said. "I've been trying to make a good impression on him for years, but nothing's worked. Hopefully, between you and Sarah, and me, we can work together to change things."

"Yes, I hope so too," Katherine agreed. "Because being on bad terms with your parents is never…never a pleasant thing." Her voice wavered for a second before she got control of it, and Josh didn't seem to notice. Or else he was too gentlemanly to point it out before she continued. "So…would Saturday be a good day for you to come? Or are you busy then?"

"No, I'm not busy much at all," Josh replied. "Just let me see if that would be a good time for Sarah and then I'll get back to you, all right?"

"Excellent!" Katherine told him. "Sounds wonderful. Can't wait to hear from you."

"I can't wait to see you again," Josh told her. "Talk later, Katherine. Goodbye." Then he ended the call and sat still in his room for a moment, thinking of what to say to get Sarah to go out with him again, even though their original deal had just been to go out once.

* * *

"I'm sorry to tell you this," Josh told Sarah over the phone an hour or so later. "Well, I might _not_ be sorry, depending on how you react, but…Katherine wants us to come and spend the evening with her and my father again. On Saturday. You don't have to if you don't want to. You were only obligated to come the one time."

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Sarah assured him. "I knew deep down that you'd call me again. I've been looking forward to it. I can't wait to learn more about the demon world!" She paused. "The only thing is that I'll be leaving Ellie with a babysitter. I hope that doesn't upset you. And…can you come early so you can talk with my dad? He knows you're a demon now cause I foolishly broke down and told him, so we might as well get that first meeting between you two over with. And dress neatly, okay? Can you do that?"

"Sure," Josh nodded, his heart sinking, although he was happy that Sarah was happy. "And let me guess: I should try and be relaxed cause he can smell fear?"

"Yes," Sarah confirmed. "Exactly. But you're a demon, so concealing fear's not so hard, right?"

"Of course not," Josh replied. "I'll dress nice and be polite and everything will be fine."

"Yes, it will," Sarah agreed. "You can get through this, I know it. I'll see you Saturday."

"See you," Josh told her. "And I really _do_ think we'll have a good time."

"Of course we will," Sarah assured him before hanging up. "How could we not?"

After the phone call ended, Josh then tried to call someone, _anyone_ , who could help him buy his first suit. Cause he didn't know how it worked and he wanted to make sure that he didn't let Sarah down and make as bad an impression on _her_ father as he'd made on his.

* * *

"Okay," Sarah told Matthew the following Saturday night right before Josh showed up. "Josh is going to stay and introduce himself to you before we leave to go where we're going. It sounds like he's really trying his best to make a good impression so don't be too hard on him, okay?"

"I won't if you told him to look presentable," Matthew huffed. "Did you? I hope you did."

"I did," Sarah replied. "I know you too well not to."

"Good," Matthew nodded and cuddled Ellie, who was in his lap. Sarah had wanted to drop her off at her father Malachai and Helene's for the evening, but then her mother had pointed out that Ellie could be a calming influence when Matthew was confronted with Josh, so Ellie hadn't gone anywhere.

They sat on the sofa, the room charged with tension as they waited for Josh to arrive and the awkwardness of the first meeting could be done with.

When the doorbell rang, Sarah sprang up and ran for the door before Matthew could. A few seconds later, she was leading Josh into the living room and sitting him down on the sofa to introduce him to her father. "Daddy, this is Josh. Josh, this is my father, Matthew Warren. Be nice to each other, all right?" She then sat down, chewing on her nails as they stared at one another.

When Josh reached out to pat Ellie on the head, Matthew looked horrified and moved her out of his reach before clearing his throat and saying, "It's…it's good to meet you. I trust nothing in your plans tonight involves kidnapping my daughter and causing her harm?"

"No, sir," Josh didn't miss a beat. "And I'm…I'm very sorry about that. My father wanted me to do that, see. My father and the people he's got looking after me. It was all a dumb power play and I was so desperate for his approval that I went along with it at your daughter and granddaughter's expense. I'm really sorry about that and I don't intend to let it happen again."

"I should hope not," Matthew replied. "And I…I'm relieved you came to your senses and released them before they came to any real harm. I appreciate that you have that much of a conscience." He handed Ellie to Sarah and then ordered Josh to stand up so he could look him over as Josh tried to control his breathing. He had no idea why he was so intimidated by this man when he knew he was stronger, but he just was.

"Nice suit," Matthew said at last. "Thank you for dressing up. And for calling me 'Sir'."

"You're welcome," Josh told him after letting out a breath. "I'm glad it looks all right. This is my first suit and I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing."

"Well, if you need help sprucing yourself up, I would be glad to lend you a hand," Matthew remarked. "It wouldn't be any trouble, really."

Now it was Josh's turn to look Matthew over. He wore jeans, a white and blue plaid shirt, and really nice black leather boots. Even so, Josh wondered just how much he knew about nice dressing. "All right," he got out. "That…that would be a big help."

"All right," Sarah stood up and clapped once. "It's so good this meeting went well, but we need to go now. We don't want to keep Josh's father and Katherine waiting. That wouldn't be polite."

"No, it wouldn't," Matthew shook his head. "And don't forget the wine I got. It's your hostess gift."

"Right!" Sarah nodded and went to grab it. "I almost did. Thank you for reminding me, Daddy."

"No problem," Matthew replied. "It's what I'm here for."

"Thanks for watching Ellie," Sarah added before she and Josh headed out to his car. "I'll call you when we're done and I'm coming home. It should only be a few hours. I won't be out all night."

"All right, have fun," Matthew called. "But not too much fun! Be careful!"

"We will!" Sarah yelled back. "I promise."

"What did he mean?" Josh asked as they pulled out of the driveway.

"He's probably convinced himself that you and I are going to your parents' house to have sex," she chuckled to herself. "I mean, it's been a while for me, for sure. But I don't think now is the right time."

"No," Josh shook his head. "Even though it's been a little while for me too. Long in demon terms, anyway. But like you say, now is not the right time."

* * *

Though Josh feared the evening would get awkward, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that his father wasn't in the mood for any confrontations and that Katherine (who he found pleasant) was leading things. They started out talking about neutral things like sports, books, and the weather, with Sarah and Josh sitting side by side on the sofa, not touching.

"What's wrong with you two?" Katherine asked. "This is supposed to be a date! You can kiss, I don't mind. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Well, we…" Sarah began as she and Josh looked at each other awkwardly. "This is our third date, and, and I'm not sure-"

This made Katherine's eyes widen. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She apologized. "Your third date. I know what that means! You probably want to be alone and have sex rather than talk to us about nothing! It seems like so many TV shows I watch say the third date means sex." She made her way down the hallway. "Come on!" She encouraged with a bright smile. "I'll make up a bed for you. It shouldn't matter what room you pick. All the beds are nice and big."

Sarah and Josh looked at each other and then got up to follow her cause they didn't know what else to do. But Josh paused next to his father and asked, "Is she always blunt like that?"

"Yep," Rodan nodded with a sigh. "Get used to it." He paused. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You can ignore her. That's what I do and nothing bad ever happens to me."

But Josh and Sarah were looking at one another and remembering their conversation in the car about how long it had been since either of them had been to bed. "You know, I wouldn't want to be rude," Sarah replied. "We can at least make her think she's being helpful. That's not so bad, is it?"

"No," Josh shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Are you coming, you two?" Katherine called. "Or are you letting Rodan talk you out of it?"

"No, we're coming!" Josh assured her. "Just give us a minute." They made their way to where Katherine was waiting for them and just before they reached her, she came toward them and stuck out her foot a little so that the unaware Sarah tripped and fell into Josh's arms.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sarah told him, staying right where she was but giving Katherine a frown, which she returned with a smile. "I seem to have tripped!"

"Good thing he was there to catch you," Katherine smiled. "You kids have a good evening now and don't worry about Rodan and me. We'll find a way to amuse ourselves." She ushered them into the bedroom and then shut the door behind them, leaving them to stand in awkward silence and think about if they were really going to do what she'd suggested.

"I can't believe she wants us to have sex!" Sarah gave an awkward laugh. "Can you believe such a thing?"

"I can, coming from her," Josh nodded, coming close to her. "And I wouldn't mind doing it, but…we don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it…it wouldn't be such a bad idea," Sarah told him. "What did you mean when you said it hadn't been long for you, but it had been in demon terms?"

"Well, it's just that demons in general are very sexual beings," Josh explained. "Our urge for sex is stronger than that of other species'."

"Is it now?" Sarah asked, crossing her arms. "Have you ever undressed me with your eyes?"

"Yes," Josh nodded. "And I like what I see. I think I would."

"How do you feel about using protection?" Sarah questioned. "Cause I already had a kid with one guy who skipped out on me. I don't want it to happen again."

"Oh, it wouldn't," Josh assured her. "Sometimes I have nights with human women and I always keep condoms with me for those times."

"You do?" Sarah smiled. "Well, that's good. It makes me feel more at ease."

"Really? Great!" Josh grinned and came toward her but she deftly stepped aside. "Wait just a minute! If we do this…it's not going to turn into anything deep, is it? Cause I don't think I'm ready for that." She began pacing. "I mean, I've got work and Ellie to deal with. I don't think I could handle someone else asking for all of my time. Anyone I'm with has to understand that."

"Oh, of course," Josh nodded. "It wouldn't be anything serious." He began pacing beside her. "You do what you do and when you need a break from it, you can give me a call. No pressure."

"Thanks!" Sarah smiled. "Good!" She came toward him and took his hand. "All right then. As long as we're both on the same page about this not being anything serious, I'm in. I'll have sex with you. And if it doesn't turn out as well as you'd hope this first time, it's because I've not been with anyone since Ellie's father left. I've been too busy."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Josh told her and took her in his arms, helping her strip down to her underwear, then running his hands over her body. "I'm sorry that a woman as beautiful as you has been alone for so long. You deserve better than that." He kissed her neck and when he pulled back, Sarah was gazing at him in shock. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Sarah laughed and shook her head. "No, it's just that…it's the first time in a long time that I've been called beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Josh told her, then pulled her hair out of its ponytail, playing with it as he gently kissed her forehead and cheeks. "I've always thought you were beautiful," he whispered. "And you always wanted me to, didn't you? All those times you visited me at the gym in those low cut dresses and tops. You were fishing for compliments, weren't you?"

"No, not exactly," Sarah shook her head, letting out a moan as he pulled her close against him, his hands roaming over her body and unhooking her bra as she pushed off his jacked and unbuttoned his shirt, her hands roaming over his abs. "I wore those for me, but…getting compliments was a nice bonus." She paused. "Of course I didn't want you to know that at the time cause I wasn't ready to let myself get into what would inevitably follow if I admitted I liked what you thought about me, but…now I am, so…yeah." She sneaked her hand in his boxers after getting his dress pants down, and soon, their mouths had crashed against one another as they kissed over and over, devouring one another.

They then paused long enough to run over to the bed, pull the sheets aside, and fall onto the mattress, Josh on top of Sarah, and taking a little time for foreplay, kissing her everywhere and pausing at the waistband of her panties so that he could deftly pull them down, toss them aside, and pleasure her with his tongue before pausing to put on the condom, sliding inside her, and pushing into her over and over again as she let out a moan of pleasure. She would never wait so long to go to bed again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rodan and Katherine had made their way to bed also, and their room was across the hall and a couple doors down from the one Josh and Sarah had settled in.

"You know, I wonder about those two," Rodan remarked as he and Katherine undressed. "It just seems a little fishy. Like they're trying to force a relationship for some reason."

"I don't see it," Katherine disagreed. "But if they _were_ faking it, it's probably because Josh wants to impress you and he thought that bringing home a nice, hardworking woman would do the trick. She's probably not even the type to go to bed before marriage."

Then they heard a racket coming from nearby. "What do you think that is?" Rodan wanted to know.

"Oh, I don't have to think," Katherine smiled. "I know! Josh and Sarah are having sex. Isn't that nice?"

"I suppose," Rodan huffed. "But really, do they have to be so loud? It's gonna keep me up all night!"

"Not if we find a way to occupy ourselves," Katherine grinned and kissed up his chest. "And since you know you're not going to be able to sleep, why shouldn't we?"

"You know," he said, sitting up and reaching out to play with her hair just as Josh had done with Sarah's. "That's not a bad idea."

"Of course not," Katherine grinned as he leaned in to kiss her. "I always have good ideas."

"Not always," Rodan countered as she straddled him, grateful that he slept naked cause it just made things easier. "But this…this is a good one." Their lips met then, and the sound of Josh and Sarah's lovemaking didn't matter to them anymore.


	39. Making Friends With Ellie

Early the next morning, Sarah woke up in the bed at Katherine and Rodan's, rolling over and jostling Josh awake. He was still holding onto her as he had when they'd fallen asleep the night before. He kissed her hair and hugged her. "Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning," Sarah replied with a chuckle. "You know, last night was the first fun night I've had in a long time."

"Good," Josh replied. "I'm glad. So…do you want to just rest here for a few more hours and then go down to breakfast?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. But then her eye caught the clock on the bedside table. It was flashing a time of six a.m. in glowing red. Then she remembered that she'd forgotten to call her parents and tell them that she'd be staying out late. She'd left them with Ellie all night and she wasn't exactly sure they knew where she was. She kissed Josh and then began looking for her clothes. "I have to go," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"No," she smiled. "You did everything right, I promise. I just…I forgot to tell my parents I was staying over and…I really should be getting back to Ellie."

"Okay," Josh agreed and got out of bed too. "But…will you at least let me drive you? I feel it's the least I can do."

Sarah thought about this. Part of her was thinking that it was unquestionably one of the worst ideas ever because her father would probably try and murder him if he saw Josh at all, but another…another wanted to be with him for just a little while longer. "All right," she said. "I would love for you to take me home if it's not an inconvenience."

"Of course it isn't," Josh smiled. "If it was, I wouldn't be offering."

* * *

When they were both dressed, they made their way downstairs where Katherine and Rodan were waiting for them with cups of coffee in hand and smirks on their faces.

"Must've been a nice evening if Sarah is still here," Katherine remarked as she watched them approach the table before turning her attention to the brown-eyed woman. "You can stay for breakfast too, if you like. We won't bite."

Deciding to let Josh take her home had made Sarah feel just a bit bolder then she'd been feeling when she'd first woken up. She sat down at the table and said, "I probably shouldn't stay very long because I've got a daughter to get home to, but…is there any more of that coffee left?"

"Sure," Rodan nodded and got up to get it. "How do you take it?"

"Just a little milk would be fine, thanks," Sarah said and grabbed an apple, taking a bite and swallowing.

"You should feel honored I think," Katherine told her dryly. "Rodan doesn't get coffee for just anyone."

"Well, I do," Sarah replied, watching Josh join his father by the coffee machine and then make himself some toast. "I do."

When breakfast was eaten and coffee was drunk, Josh and Sarah bade his father and Katherine goodbye and made their way to her parents' house. She asked him to park down the street. The house was out of sight, and she thought it would be better that way, at least for now. She got out of the car and shut it behind her, giving Josh a smile. "Thanks again for last night and this morning. I…you don't know what it means to me."

"I think I have some idea," Josh told her. "Which is why we need to do it more often." He gave her a smile. "Now, are you sure you want to go the rest of the way by yourself?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I think that would be best, at least until my father is used to you. I'll be fine, I swear."

"Call me later, okay?" Josh asked. "Or I'll call you. Whichever you want."

Sarah nodded. "Why don't _you_ call _me_? I promise I'll be the one to pick up if you call this number." She wrote her cell phone number on his hand, gave him one more kiss and hug, then broke into a sprint because she didn't want to keep her parents and Ellie waiting any longer.

* * *

When she arrived home, she was shocked to find the house surrounded by policemen and police cars. It was one thing for the situation to be hypothetical. It was another to actually see it. "What the hell is going on?" She asked as her mother came out to meet her.

"Well, when you didn't call last night, your father got it into his head that you'd been kidnapped again and were lying dead in a ditch somewhere," Christine explained. "I told your father that you were fine and he had nothing to worry about, but as you can see, he didn't exactly believe me."

"I know I didn't call and I'm sorry," Sarah apologized and followed her mother into the house. "It's just that I was having such a good time that it slipped my mind. Am I a horrible mother? Who just goes off and has sex all night and totally doesn't think about their kid?"

"No," Christine told her firmly. "You're not a bad mother. Sure you forgot to call, but it was one time and you generally _do_ call. And you left Ellie in the hands of people you knew would care for her and keep her safe. That's good parenting. Unlike my mother, who would go out clubbing and leave me home alone with some soup and the TV and not come home for hours. _That_ is bad parenting."

"Where's Dad?" Sarah questioned. "I'm almost scared to ask."

"He's probably with the search team he compelled to look for you, even though you weren't gone a whole day," Christine sighed. "I'll go call him off and tell him you're home."

"Thanks," Sarah sighed, sitting back in her chair and waiting for the lecture from her father about letting people know where she was because that was the polite thing to do.

To distract her, Christine brought her Ellie and mentioned something that she'd said. "Did you say you and Josh got together last night? I thought something like that was going on."

"And I'm not sorry," Sarah replied. "It felt good and it was the first time in a while that I've felt beautiful or worthy or like I was having any fun at all."

"Hey, I know that," Christine said and put a hand on her arm. "You don't have to justify yourself to me. I'm so pleased you had a night to relax. I hope there'll be others."

"Oh, you better believe it!" Sarah nodded. "Josh and I talked it over and decided that we would have a no-strings attached thing for a while."

"Well, there you go," Christine exclaimed. "I think that'll be good for your mental health. Now, he promised that his days of kidnapping you are over, right?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "I don't even think his heart was in it from the beginning." She then kissed her daughter's hair and turned Ellie around to face her. "Good morning, Ellie Bean. Sorry I wasn't home last night. Did you miss me?"

Ellie smiled, her eyes bright. "Mama!" She exclaimed and rested her head against her mother.

"She actually was very good last night," Christine assured Sarah. "We had no trouble getting her to sleep or anything."

"Good," Sarah breathed. "That makes me happy."

Just then, the calm of the moment was broken when the back door opened and Matthew called out, "I'm only back for a little bit, Christine. We still haven't found Sarah."

"I have!" Christine called back. "She came back a few minutes ago. Call off the search teams, you nut!"

"Oh, my god!" Matthew cried when he saw his daughter. He hugged her tight, nearly sobbing with relief. "I thought you were dead!" He cried. "Don't scare me like that again!"

"I'm sorry I forgot to call," Sarah apologized. "I was having too much fun with Josh. But I won't forget again. I promise."

"What sort of fun were you and that boy having?" Matthew questioned. "Was he taking liberties with your person?"

"He didn't do anything that I didn't agree to," Sarah told her father firmly. "And don't try and make me feel guilty for having the first night of fun that I've had in a long time. Just don't do it, okay?"

Matthew sighed, looking back and forth between his wife and daughter, who had matching reproachful looks on their faces. "All right," he said. "I apologize. I know I overreacted. I _tried_ to listen to your mother. I really did. And in my head, I knew she was right, but…I also couldn't forget all the times I failed to protect your sister, you know? My brain just wouldn't let me run the risk of leaving everything alone and then finding out later that something bad happened to you that I should have prevented."

Sarah's face changed then and she handed Ellie to her mother so she could give her father a hug. "You always mean well," she said. "And I…I suppose I don't blame you for being concerned. But next time you know I'm gonna be at Rodan's and you have a question, call Selina first and ask her to ask Dorian to ask him. I know it's more tedious and it'll take you longer to get an answer, but at least you won't be monopolizing the police's time."

"You're right," Matthew nodded. "I'll do that. I'm glad you're okay and that you had a good time." He paused. "But…but he did use some sort of protection, right?"

"Well, yeah," Sarah nodded. "Of course."

"That's good," Matthew said before going to call the search off.

"Have you eaten already?" Christine wanted to know. "I could make you eggs or something."

"I would love that, thanks," Sarah smiled. "I only had time for an apple and some coffee before we left Rodan's and I'm still hungry."

"All right," Christine nodded and gave her daughter a kiss. "I'll make you some eggs."

"And _I_ will get Ellie her Cheerios," Sarah decided, sitting her daughter in her high chair and then going to poke around in the cupboard for the cereal.

* * *

"So how much trouble did you get in over staying with me?" Josh asked her over the phone the following night. "I can't stress enough how sorry I am."

"Oh, you don't have to feel sorry," Sarah told him. "You gave me my first fun night in a long time. That's good. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Josh told her. "It…it was my pleasure."

"I have a question," Sarah said. "Since you don't go to the gym anymore for obvious reasons, where can I see you?"

"I have a house," Josh replied. "I can give you the address."

"Great!" Sarah grinned. "I would love to come and see it."

"It's nothing exciting," Josh insisted. "But if you want to come, that's great. You can even bring Ellie if you want. Cause…cause if we're gonna have any sort of relationship, even something informal, I should probably be on her good side, shouldn't I?"

"Yes," Sarah smiled as she watched her daughter play with some of her toys on the bedroom floor a few feet away. "That would be good."

"Great!" Josh exclaimed. "So…when would be the best time for you to come over? I know you've got work and stuff. How about this upcoming weekend?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "We can make a day of it on Saturday."

"A whole day?" Josh asked. "I'm ready for it if you are."

"I am," Sarah replied. "But we'll be keeping our clothes on this time."

"I'm okay with that," Josh told her. "As long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do."

* * *

"There they are!" Josh exclaimed with a smile when he opened his front door on Saturday and invited Sarah and Ellie in.

"We came at the right time, didn't we?" Sarah asked. "I thought we decided on ten in the morning."

"Yeah, you're right," Josh nodded. "I was expecting you." He smiled at Ellie. "Hi, sweetheart," he told her. "How are you?"

"Dosh!" she smiled. "Dosh!"

"Wow, she practically knows my name!" Josh remarked. "How did that happen?"

"We've been practicing all week," Sarah informed him. "I thought it would both impress you and put her more at ease if she could identify you."

"Well, I'm very impressed," Josh told her. "You think I could hold onto her? I see you have a bag of stuff."

"All right," Sarah nodded. "I would love that."

So Josh took Ellie in his arms and much to Sarah's relief, her daughter seemed okay with that. Any after effects from the kidnapping, any fear that Ellie would have had of him, seemed to have gone away. She figured it would have with all the exposure Ellie had had to Josh since then, but she wasn't sure until just that moment.

"It looks like you have a fan," she remarked with a smile before handing him one of Ellie's favorite toys, a small stuffed pig. "Why don't you let her play with that to give her something to do while I deal with this?"

"All right," Josh nodded. "How about you give me the whole bag? I'll think of something to amuse her."

After Sarah had unpacked all the stuff she'd brought, she went to join her daughter and Josh and found him delighting Ellie with magic tricks. Every time he would use his powers to make something appear or disappear, she would laugh herself sick.

"Why don't you let her show you what _she_ can do?" Sarah remarked. "She has powers too, you know."

"Oh?" Josh asked. "What sort of powers would she have?"

"Well, she's got werewolf genes from me and my mother and magic from me and her dad, so…yeah. She's got a lot going on. Puberty is gonna be an interesting thing for us to navigate." She paused. "Oh, and the vampire stuff, too. Can't forget about that!"

"Wow, that's a lot going on!" Josh exclaimed.

"I know," Sarah nodded. "I was thinking of finding someone to make her werewolf gene dormant, but I don't know anymore." She sat next to them. "Wanna do a magic trick for me?" She asked. "I want to see what you can do."

"All right," Josh nodded and zapped her up a red rose. "There you go."

"It's so pretty!" Sarah smiled. "Thank you!" They then watched in surprise as Ellie's toys rose up around her and began floating in the air.

"Wow, that's a real trick," Josh remarked. "It's a good thing she doesn't play with bricks or anvils."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Sarah nodded.

Ellie was watching it all and was laughing and clapping until one of the bigger bears fell down and knocked her onto her back.

"Ellie are you okay?" Sarah asked as she and Josh lunged forward.

But Ellie just rolled over onto her stomach, got to her feet, and toddled away as the rest of the toys fell on the carpet. She reached her diaper bag and began rooting around in it.

"What's she looking for?" Josh asked.

"She probably wants a snack," Sarah replied. "I have a bag of cereal and other little things in there for her." She got up to go help her daughter, but Josh insisted she stay where she was.

"Let me handle it," he urged. "I insist."

"All right," Sarah nodded. "If you want to." She watched as Josh went up behind Ellie and helped her find the bag of cereal, which of course made her very happy. He then brought the broadly grinning Ellie over to her mother and when Sarah tried to take her in her lap, Ellie refused and even took some cereal out of the bag and handed it to her new friend.

"Well, thank you," Josh grinned and ate it before giving Ellie a hug. "Thank you very much!"

"Welcome," Ellie got out. When she got up from his lap, she then began piling all her toys there. "Here," she said.

"Are these for me?" Josh questioned.

"Yes," Ellie nodded.

Soon he was covered with toys and Sarah couldn't help but laugh. "I gotta get a picture of this," she remarked and got out her phone.

After Ellie had given him all her toys, she headed off down a hallway and didn't come back.

"What's down that hallway?" Sarah asked. "Anything bad she could get into?"

"No, my bedroom's down that way," Josh remarked. He got out from under the pile of stuffed toys and then he and Sarah walked from room to room, looking for Ellie. By the time they found her, she'd curled up on the floor near the foot of his bed and fallen asleep.

"Should we move her?" Josh asked. "She looks pretty relaxed."

"Let's not," Sarah replied, grabbing a folded quilt off Josh's bed, which fit in very well with the rustic aesthetic of the rest of the house and put it over her after she'd removed her daughter's tiny light blue sneakers. "If you wake her up once she's fallen asleep, it's nearly impossible to get her to sleep again."

"What do you say we take a rest too?" Josh suggested, and then when Sarah raised an eyebrow, he quickly assured her, "Not the way you're thinking. I could make up the couch for you."

"I suppose a short nap wouldn't hurt," Sarah replied. "I'm definitely not getting all the rest I would like these days." She then untucked his covers, climbed into Josh's bed, and fell asleep almost immediately. For a moment, Josh was at a loss about what to do, since Ellie was on the floor and Sara was tucked into his bed. Then he shrugged, climbing into the bed beside Sarah and putting his arm around her, and although he didn't fall asleep, the weight of her body against him and the sound of her heartbeat and steady breathing made him feel calm. And that was good. Really, really good.


	40. A Red Wedding

As the days went by, although things were good between him and Katherine (or as good as they could be between two people who weren't necessarily comfortable with their feelings), eventually, Rodan began to get impatient with Katherine not making the decision to turn into a demon like he needed her to.

"No!" Katherine shook her head when he brought it up over breakfast for what seemed like the millionth time. "I'm not going to do it just because you want me to! What's the damn rush?"

"What do you mean 'What's the damn rush'?" Rodan asked. "Do you want to be powerful and rule the world now, or do you want to wait like an idiot and risk losing the chance?"

"I told you that based on what I know about Selina, I can mess her up and bring them all down to their knees," Katherine reminded him.

"Well, the knowledge doesn't do a lot of good if you don't use it," Rodan reminded her. "Being a demon would be more of a help."

"No," Katherine told him firmly.

After so many repeated denials of what he thought was a perfectly reasonable request, Rodan decided to turn her himself, even though she didn't want him to just yet.

But the problem would be finding a way to get her the blood or the wine without her knowing. Cause she'd been told that drinking demon blood would turn her (which is something he wished he hadn't let her know), and by now she knew about the effects of too much demon wine. So what could he do? How could he get her to consume what he needed her to without hurting her? Was there a way?

He thought and he thought, but he couldn't think of anything. He finally realized that there was one way to go about it. That way would probably drive Katherine away from him, at least for a time, but he'd given her a choice and she hadn't taken it. Forcing her to become a demon was the next step, no question.

* * *

The following day, he filled a syringe with blood and waited until Katherine went to sleep. Then, when the lights were out and her breathing was steady, he grabbed the syringe and stuck it in her arm, watching the blood empty inside her. Once the syringe was empty, he refilled it a few more times until her pale skin began to take on a blue tint. Her eyes opened, black as night and she let out a hiss before falling back onto her pillow, her eyes closing again.

When her eyes had opened and she had bolted upright, his heart began racing. Did this mean that she was awake for real? Would she remember this in the morning? Was his plan ruined? So he watched her and he waited…but she stayed asleep. It must've been a side effect of the blood going into her system. What a sigh of relief. He settled into bed and waited for what would happen the next day.

* * *

A few hours later, Katherine woke up in an empty bed. "Rodan?" She yelled, her voice sounding oddly distorted. "What? What's going on?" She looked down at her arm. It was a deep blue color. She let out a shriek and ran to the bathroom, staring into the mirror and seeing a demon staring back at her. She let out a terrible shriek and then did something that she, Katherine Pierce, vowed she would never do: she fainted.

Rodan heard the thump and ran into the bathroom, picking her up and putting her back in bed before dumping a glass of water from the sink on her face to bring her back to life. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"What sort of question is that?" She cried. "No, I am not okay, Rodan! I'm fucking _blue_! How the hell did that happen? How did I become a…" She paused, her eyes narrowed as he backed away from her. "Wait a minute. I don't need to ask that question. I know how. You. You did this to me because you couldn't wait for me to make the decision on my own!"

"Well, were you actually going to make it?" He asked. "Or were you just telling me that you were to try and get me to shut up and stop asking you?"

"Are you stupid?" Katherine wanted to know. "If it's going to get me power, of course I want to become a demon! But it's…it's a big lifestyle change and I wanted time to get my head around it. Your nagging me to do it now, now, now didn't help. It just made me more anxious!" She scoffed. "I hope you don't expect me to throw myself into your arms and thank you for what you've done."

"No," Rodan shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't be happy with what I've done."

"But as long as you get what you want, as long as your needs are met, my feelings don't matter." Katherine huffed. "Is that it?"

"Well…" Rodan's cheeks colored slightly and he tried to stave off the feelings of shame that were filling him. "In the long run it'll be something we're both grateful for!" He blustered. "I refuse to feel bad about what I've done."

"Fine!" Katherine cried and kicked him in the crotch. "Then I refuse to stay here. Your looks and ability in bed can only get you so far, Rodan!" She began packing, taking her fanciest clothes and everything else that he got for her that she could stuff in a bag. "Goodbye!"

"But where will you go?" Rodan questioned. "Elizabeth won't know how to deal with a demon, will she? And neither will anyone else you know. You really have no choice but to stay here, especially since new demons are so volatile."

Katherine sighed. "I'm gonna find a place," she told him. "It might take some time, but I will find a way to get out of here, believe you me. And once I go through that door, I'm not coming back. I mean it."

"Fine," Rodan told her, not believing a word of it. "Whatever you say. I wish you the best of luck."

* * *

"This is going to sound crazy, but I think I need your help," Katherine told Selina after arriving on her front step at an hour when most people would be sleeping. She'd hit on the idea of going to Selina and Dorian right away, but it had taken her an entire day to finally decide to ask them for shelter cause she thought she knew for certain what their answer would be, based on her association with Rodan. "I know it's early, and I'm sorry, but…I'm a demon now, and I don't know what to do. Rodan did it to me so I could be of better use to him in his plan for domination. I had no say in the matter. See?"

"Oh, my god!" Selina cried as she was shown proof of Katherine's claim. It made her be much more awake than she'd been before. "You said Rodan did that?"

"Of course!" Katherine told her. "He's been at me to make the change for weeks now! Apparently, I didn't make it quick enough for him, so he did it for me. Can you believe that he would do that? And it must've been while I was asleep so I wouldn't fight him. I know I shouldn't be surprised that he would do that, but…I am. Does it surprise you too?"

"Actually, from what Dorian's told me about him, I think he would," Selina nodded and finally remembered to invite Katherine inside and help her find a room. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. Why don't you stay here until we figure out what to do next?"

"That's…that's nice but not necessary," Katherine replied, suddenly feeling guilty for accepting the aid of a woman she would have betrayed in two seconds to gain Rodan's approval, even though she didn't know where else to go. "I don't want to be a burden."

"Well, were else would you go to get the help you need?" Selina pointed out.

"All right," Katherine nodded. "You have a point. Thank you for taking me in."

"Selina? What's going on?" Dorian called. "Is everything all right? Who's at the door?"

"It's Katherine!" Selina told him as he came to join them, looking adorably rumpled and only half awake. "Rodan turned her into a demon and she left him."

"And now I need help navigating things," Katherine added. "Selina told me I could stay, at least until I'm more under control. Is that all right? I know there's not a lot of cause for us to be good friends."

"Yes, well," Dorian cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're a victim of Rodan's so I suppose I'm fine with helping you. You can take our son Arthur's room. He's spending the night at his girlfriend Lily's house. We might have to move you later, cause I assume it'll take more than one night to heal things between you and Rodan, if you want to do that, but this'll do for a start."

"Don't worry, it's not too masculine a room," Selina reassured her as they led her there. "It's very tasteful."

"It could be the most masculine room in the world and I wouldn't care," Katherine told her. "It's a bed. That's the most important thing."

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep?" Selina asked, fluffing the pillows.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks," Katherine assured her. "I really appreciate you taking me in like this."

"It's no trouble," Selina promised, taking her hand. "I'm really sorry about what was done to you. No one deserves that." There was an awkward pause as they realized they were moving into new emotional territory that neither of them were really ready to traverse. "All right," she continued and gave Katherine a wave. "Sleep well. Good night."

She left, turning the light off and leaving Katherine to tuck herself in as she cursed Rodan's name and tried to get calm enough to fall asleep.

* * *

Although it took some time after Katherine's departure, loneliness and a little bit of shame finally overcame Rodan's pride about what he'd done to Katherine and he decided that he had to do something to win her back. He knew that a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers wouldn't be enough, so he sat down and really tried to think just what the one thing would be that she wouldn't be able to resist no matter what. Then it hit him: He could make up an actual wedding for the two of them! He'd always suspected that one of the reasons why she'd not enjoyed learning about their first 'wedding' was that she didn't have a chance to dress up or show off. Now he would give her that chance if only she would come home.

He called Elizabeth and told her what happened. "I drove your mother away," he confessed. "Now I want to get her back. Do you know what sort of dress she would like?"

"I think so," Elizabeth replied. "But depending on what you did, Mom won't be able to be bought off by just one dress."

"Oh, the dress is only part of it," he said. "I promise. Oh, and would you not tell her anything about this or anything else I might need help with? I want it to be a surprise."

"All right," Elizabeth agreed. She was skeptical that Rodan could come up with anything to get her stubborn mother to return, but at the same time, she was curious to know just what he was up to.

* * *

A few days later, she met him at the store of a friend of hers who was a wedding dress designer and frequently featured in her fashion magazine. "I think we could get Mom a good dress here," she told her and let him go ahead of her into the store.

"Elizabeth!" Her friend Lisetta Berelli remarked and came to give her a hug. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. Are you getting married? Why didn't you say something?"

Elizabeth smiled and looked into Lisetta's dark eyes. "The dress isn't for me. It's for my mom. This is her fiancé, Rodan."

"Hello," Lisetta greeted him. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Rodan muttered, looking down at his shoes.

"Now," Lisetta smiled at Elizabeth. "Where _is_ your mother?"

"That's the thing," Elizabeth replied. "She's not here because we want the wedding to be a surprise for her. But I know her taste and we're the same size, so I'll be able to pick something that will work."

"All right," Lisetta nodded, even though she sounded skeptical. "If you're certain." She then caught Rodan's eye. "Would you like to be part of the dress selection process? Or would you prefer to sit in the waiting room reading magazines?"

"I can come with you," Rodan told her. "I don't mind."

Lisetta nodded and they went back into the show room where the dresses were.

They started with Elizabeth trying on several white wedding dresses, but Rodan shook his head. "I don't like that," he said. "It's too traditional. Don't you think your mother would want something that was a bit more…unexpected? What about red?"

Lisetta clicked her tongue. "I make red wedding dresses but I don't know why women would want to wear them for a happy marriage. You know what they say: 'married in red, better off dead'."

"Thank you for your concern," Rodan told her. "But we'd like to see the red dresses anyway."

Lisetta sighed and went and got a small collection of red dresses. Making a choice wasn't hard with such a small pool to choose from. After looking at all the options, Rodan and Elizabeth decided on one with a sweetheart neckline full-length tulle skirt. It had a matching red fur stole to go with it and delicate lace gloves.

"You think your mother will like this?" Rodan asked, feeling doubt as they stepped out of the store.

"Of course," Elizabeth assured him. "She wouldn't have liked white, but red is great!"

They followed up the purchase of the dress with matching shoes and flowers, which Rodan laid out on the bed. "You think she'll want to marry me after all this?" He asked.

"I don't know," Elizabeth answered honestly. "But…it's worth a shot. It would help if you had backup. I can get that for you."

"Thanks," Rodan remarked. "I appreciate it!"

* * *

After all the time spent with Selina and Dorian, Katherine was beginning to ache for a familiar face, someone she was actually close to and whose life she'd never ruined. So when Elizabeth showed up to tell her about the wedding, she was overjoyed.

"It's been so long since I've seen you!" She cried and gave her daughter a hug. "It's so nice to see someone that I'm close to again." She paused. "What brings you here?"

"Something you might not like at first, but here me out," Elizabeth told her. "It's about Rodan. He feels bad about what he did to you and he has a way to prove it that I think you'll really like. But you have to come with me."

Katherine scoffed. "No, thank you. I don't care what the big surprise is. After what he did to me, I never want to see that selfish, egoist asshole ever again! Nothing you tell me could bring me back into his web!"

This put Elizabeth in a tough spot. She didn't want to give the surprise away, but she knew that doing so would be the only way her mother might come with her. Thankfully, she was saved from blurting it all out by her phone ringing. "Hello?" She greeted.

"It's Laura," said the voice on the other end. "We decided to have the wedding at Edward's and my house. We got it fixed up all nice and the stuff is on a couch in the salon for whenever you've convinced your mom to come."

"What's that, Laura?" Elizabeth asked. "You say you need Mom to come into work? Sure, I'll get her to your house! Just give me twenty minutes." She ended the call and Katherine gave her a look of confusion.

"Why would Laura want me to come into work on the weekend? We're not even open!"

"I don't know, but I think we should go and see what's up right away, don't you think?" Elizabeth questioned.

Katherine nodded and they headed out to Elizabeth's car and drove to Laura's. Rodan was wisely out of sight, having a last drink with Charlie before the wedding, so they didn't see him at all.

* * *

When they got down to the salon, Katherine saw no one but Laura, who was standing by the empty salon chair, a smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Katherine asked her. "What do you need me for?"

"I need to do your hair for your wedding," Laura told her. "You can't get married looking like that!"

"Wedding?" Katherine turned to Elizabeth, feeling shocked. "What wedding?"

"Rodan thought that one of the reasons why you've been so unhappy was that your wedding to him wasn't what you wanted, so now he's letting you have a big thing," Elizabeth explained. "We got you a designer dress, nice shoes, flowers…the cake's somewhere around too…I know it won't make up for what he did entirely, but it's a step in the right direction, isn't it?"

Katherine paused by the chair, grabbing onto it when she saw the red dress and stole draped over the sofa. "Is that…is that it? Is that my dress?"

"Yep," Elizabeth smiled. "Do you like it? Rodan and I picked it out at my friend Lisetta Berelli's store."

"Designer," Katherine nodded with appreciation. "Good girl." She really wanted to try it on, along with the matching shoes, but since Laura was waiting for her, she sat down in the chair and had her hair done first.

When it was piled high on her head with a few wisps brushing her cheeks, then she got up out of the chair and Elizabeth helped her put her dress on. "I like this!" She remarked, her voice full of appreciation as she spun around. "You picked well." She put on the shoes and smiled even more cause they didn't pinch.

"It has a stole and gloves that go with it if you're cold," Elizabeth told her. "You know, Rodan helped me pick that out, if you can believe it. _And_ the shoes and flowers."

"So you really think that he sincerely feels bad about what he did to me?" Katherine asked. "Should I forgive him?"

"That's up to you," Elizabeth replied. "I just think that he's learned a little humility in the time you've been gone. I mean it."

"All right," Katherine nodded. "It's something to consider." She took her flowers and then she, Laura, and Elizabeth made their way up the stairs. It was lucky that the girls were behind her when she reached the top because the sight of Rodan waiting for her made her freeze and they were afraid that she was going to just topple over.

"Hi, Katherine," Rodan smiled. "You…you look lovely."

"Well, thank you," Katherine told him as she took the last step up the stairs. "You and Elizabeth picked me out a good dress. Are you serious about this wedding thing and how sorry you are for what you did to me?"

"Yes," Rodan nodded and got down on one knee, pulling a ring box out of his pocket and opening it to reveal a large diamond ring with the center diamond being surrounded by smaller diamonds and rubies. "I _am_ sorry. And…if you go through with marrying me the way that non-demons do, I'll make more of an effort to have our relationship be a partnership from now on."

"Really?" Katherine asked, not sure that she believed him, even though the ring was gorgeous and she wanted it on her finger.

"Yes." Rodan's voice was firm and his gaze was steady. "Katherine, it would mean the world to me to have you as my wife and partner-in-crime for the rest of my life."

"Well, since you put it that way, yes," Katherine smiled. "Yes, I will marry you. Now give me that gorgeous ring!"

Rodan smiled and slipped it on her finger, then they all headed out to the backyard where an officiator was waiting to conduct the wedding.

But first, Katherine went down the aisle and when she reached Rodan, he whispered, "You look lovely in red. That's a lucky color in the demon world, you know."

"Is it?" Katherine smiled. "I had no idea. I just thought everyone liked it." She handed Elizabeth her flowers and then the ceremony began.

Elizabeth smiled as her mother became fidgety, her face betraying impatience while the poor man in front of them rambled on about love and commitment and all that, until she finally cut him off. "Is it necessary for you to say all this extra stuff?" She asked. "I really want to be with this man who looks so good in his tux right now. Would you get to the _important_ stuff, please?"

The man was shocked. Clearly he'd never officiated a wedding with someone like Katherine Pierce involved. "Yes…yes, of course," he said. "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "I don't know if it's foolish to say so or not, but yeah, I do."

He turned to Rodan. "And do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife for as long as you both shall live?"

"That's a long time," Rodan smiled. "But I think I can handle it. Yes," he nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Well, all right," the officiator smiled. "I guess all that's left to do is kiss the bride then."

Rodan didn't hesitate another minute. He literally swept Katherine off her feet and kissed her soundly as Charlie, Elizabeth, and Laura applauded. After the wedding was over, they went inside for a drink and a surprise post-wedding brunch.

"What are you doing here?" Katherine asked Selina, who was situated by a long oak table in the dining room that was covered with food and mimosa and bloody Mary fixings, along with a giant red, white, and black frosted wedding cake. "What _is_ all this?"

"Laura told me about your wedding and I…I wanted to do something," she told her.

"That's sweet, but you didn't have to," Katherine told her, more guilt pooling inside her. Was she _really_ gonna be able to take Selina down after all this kindness?

"It's my pleasure," Selina smiled. "And I'd go for a cinnamon roll if I were you. They're wonderful. Or the eggs Benedict. I love having powers to zap stuff like this up. It makes it so much easier to do at a moment's notice."

"Well, thanks again," Katherine told her as Rodan set a plate of eggs Benedict and a mimosa in front of her. "I appreciate it."

"It was no trouble," Selina repeated and grabbed a drink and cinnamon roll for herself. "I was happy to."


	41. His Dirty Little Secret

"You never exactly explained to me who that woman was that was here," Arthur told his mother, referring to Katherine.

"Oh, she was just…well, she's been my enemy for a real long time and when I found out that she was turned into a demon against her will like she turned _me_ into a vampire against _my_ will, I could have gloated and kept her out in the cold, but I felt bad and _someone_ needed to teach her demon ways, so I let her stay. And I hope you were nice to Elijah when he let you stay over all that time. How in the world did you work that out, by the way?"

"I helped with the housework and if Lily and I wanted to be together, we just put a spell on the door so he wouldn't have to hear us," Arthur shrugged. "It seemed to work out well enough."

"How long do you think you'll be able to go on like that before he tells you that you and Lily need to get engaged or go amuse yourselves somewhere else?" Selina questioned.

"You really think that will happen?" Arthur questioned.

"Well, I don't know," Selina shrugged. "I mean, he seems to have lightened up since I was married to him, so I could be wrong, but it might be something to keep at the back of your mind."

"All right," Arthur replied, his voice thoughtful. "I will."

* * *

"Okay, be honest with me," Arthur requested of Lily at school the next day. "How mad was your dad that you and I were having sex under his roof all that time? Was he mad? Is he gonna make us break up?"

"If he'd been really mad about it, he would have kicked you out immediately, but he let you stay," Lily reminded him as she put an arm around his waist. "That should tell you something. But I think you went home at the right time, though."

"Yeah, that's what my mom thinks too," Arthur told her.

"Why did they tell you to stay with us in the first place?" Lily wanted to know. "I hope it's nothing bad."

"No, not really," Arthur promised. "They just had to help someone who was hurt by Rodan, and since I was gone, they gave her my room."

"Ah," Lily nodded. "Okay." Then she gasped. "Rodan? I hope he's not coming after you next!"

Arthur gave her a wry grin and then turned around to gesture at the group of black-suited people following them. "Even if he was, how easily do you think he could get at me with protection like this, hmmm?"

"Oh, yeah," Lily grinned. "I suppose you have a point."

* * *

After they got home from school, Arthur asked Selina, "What was Katherine here for? Is it some horrible Rodan plot that puts me in danger?"

"Well…I don't think I should say 'No'," Selina admitted. "She came because Rodan turned her into a demon, like I've probably told you before, so they can use their joint demon powers to overthrow your father and me. Plus, Katherine knows a lot of _my_ personal weaknesses, which she probably won't hesitate to use against me, even though I gave her shelter and made her a brunch for her wedding." She huffed. "Some people!"

Arthur groaned. "Why were you making her brunch when you should have just killed her?" He questioned. "If we're all in danger cause she turned on us, it'll be your fault!"

"But there's a chance she might not turn on you and turn against Rodan instead because your mother had the foresight to be kind to her in her time of need," Lily countered. Then, she lightly punched Arthur's arm. "Don't yell at your mother."

"Thank you, Lily," Selina smiled. "It's nice to know _someone_ understands what my plan is!"

"What does Dad think about this?" Arthur wanted to know.

"Well, lucky for me, he's more open-minded than you are," Selina informed her son. "I don't think it even occurred to him to yell at me for helping Katherine." She paused. "You really don't need to trouble yourself with this as much as you are," she said. "You and Lily just go do what it is that you do. You'll be much happier that way."

"No, but I…" Arthur started to protest before Lily kissed him and then hauled him out of his mother's sight.

"What did you do that for?" He grouched when they were in his room. "I was starting a really good argument!"

"Do you really think you'll win a fight against your mother?" Lily questioned. "I would say that you should just trust her and let her and your dad handle things. Then you can focus on more important stuff. Like me." She grinned.

"Oh, I guess you're right," Arthur replied and took her in his arms, sliding his hands into her back pockets. "You _are_ much better for my mental health."

"Damn right," Lily smiled and pushed him back onto the bed, her fingers running through his hair as she kissed him.

* * *

But before he went to bed that night, Arthur paid his father a visit as he shaved. "You can be honest with me," he told Dorian. "Are you mad that Mom is getting all chummy with Rodan's wife?"

"I was taken aback at first," Dorian admitted. "I wondered what the hell your mother was thinking. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how brilliant it is. If we're nice to Katherine and Rodan isn't, who's gonna side with us instead of him? Yeah, that would be us. So I decided to trust her, and we'll see what happens."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Arthur questioned. "I mean, I know I told myself earlier in the day that I was going to stop worrying and let the two of you handle it, but now that Lily's not here to distract me, it's harder not to think about it!"

"I'll try and think of something for you to do to help," Dorian replied.

"Okay," Arthur nodded. "And it better be something that's useful, instead of just making me sleep with the daughters of powerful men to keep them all happy."

"It will be," Dorian promised, even though he had no idea yet what Arthur could do to help. "I promise. Now try and get some sleep, all right?"

"All right," Arthur agreed. "I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Dorian told him. "And everything will work out in the end somehow. I promise."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Christine's friend Eva cried as Christine opened the door to her knock and Eva threw herself into her friend's arms. "You know, I came by to visit you the other day cause we haven't talked in a while, but a saw a bunch of police cars in the street so I went back home. What happened? Were you hurt?"

"No," Christine shook her head. "Sarah was out and forgot to call. Matthew thought she was dead and was freaking out. I was fine."

"Wow," Eva sighed and sat down hard on the sofa. "I always wondered what you liked about him. Not that he's not a good guy. But he's a bit high strung, wouldn't you say?"

"About as high strung as _your_ husband," Christine pointed out. Cause it was true that Eva's husband, the namesake of Sarah's ex and Ellie's father Sean, was capable of being just as tightly wound as Matthew.

"Oh, and speaking of my relatives, I'm sorry that my husband's nephew ditched your daughter," Eva apologized. "I hope she's okay."

"She's fine," Christine smiled. "And Junior's sending money now, so that's a step forward."

"Yeah," Eva smiled. "It is."

"But enough about me," Christine continued. "What about you? What's going on in your life? How are your parents?"

"Well, ever since Grandpa Mikael disappeared, they're the happiest I've seen them," Eva replied. "And Grandpa Klaus, too. I have a feeling they'll try and make it so he never comes back from wherever he is."

"Really?" Christine asked. "I mean, I knew that your father's parents weren't the happiest, snuggliest couple around, but would she really doom him that way?"

"Not permanently," Eva assured her friend. "But she has been saying that she wants a break from him for a while now. Wants to see what other sort of men are out there in the world." She paused. "The world will be terrified if she finds exactly what she's looking for."

"Having met your grandmother, I won't say you're wrong," Christine concurred.

Just then, Sarah called out. "Hi! Who else is here, Mom?"

"Hi, Sarah!" Eva told her. "How are you?"

"Good, Aunt Eva," Sarah replied and came to join them at the table. "The pipes burst in one of the bathrooms at the gym, so they sent us home early today." She paused. "I thought I would leave Ellie with Helene and Malachai a little longer. I don't see any harm in that."

"You're doing really well with Ellie," Eva told her. "She's a lucky little girl to have you."

Sarah smiled. "You don't think I'm gonna screw her up for life?" She asked.

"Hey, let's think about how _I_ was raised for a moment," Eva reminded her. "I mean, this might be a bad example, but my parents were teenagers when I was born. I grew up in my grandparents' house just like Ellie for the first few years, until Mom and Dad both graduated and we got a house of our own. And they're kind of nutty, so if I can get out of it and be relatively normal, so can Ellie."

"Oh, your mom's not that bad," Christine told her. "Just because she told you that you couldn't bring your plastic pool into the house when you were a toddler, that doesn't make her a bad parent."

"That's not what I meant," Eva told her, even though it was still a definite sore spot, even after all these years. "But if Sean and I have kids, I won't be so strict. I'll be the _fun_ parent!"

Christine turned her attention back to Sarah. "Did you tell Malachai and Helene about Josh?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "I know I have to sometime. But now I'm just not ready! I mean, think about how Dad freaked out. Malachai will be like, a million times worse!"

"But I think you should tell him before your dad's protective urges overcome his aversion to the man and they both team up to 'protect' you," Christine pointed out. "You know that could happen."

"Yeah, I know," Sarah sighed. "I'll do it at some point. I just…not now. I don't think I can handle it now. I don't want to think of demon battles and things that could wrong. I just want to have a few minutes of peace before I tell the truth about Josh and everything goes to hell."

Eva and Christine stared at one another, uncertain about how to respond to this. Finally, Eva got out, "Well, if there's anything we can do, just tell us. And if you want us to just leave you alone, we'll do that too."

"Thanks, Aunt Eva," Sarah replied. "I really needed to hear that."

* * *

Sarah had been so swept up in things with Josh, and so desperate _not_ to dwell on problems involving demons that she'd forgotten her promise to spy until AnnaLynne brought it up.

"Have you heard anything else from Josh?" She asked in a whisper the day they all returned to work cause the bathroom pipes were fixed. "Any evil plans to report?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "We…we don't talk about stuff like that."

"Well, you should!" AnnaLynne whispered angrily. "How are we supposed to know Rodan's plans if you don't get him to share them?"

"How do you suggest I ask?" Sarah wanted to know. "Say 'Josh, what evil plans are you and your dad cooking up to use against my sister? Would you care to share them?' That's _not_ very subtle. If I go that route, he'll stop trusting me!"

"Are you sleeping with him?" AnnaLynne wanted to know.

"Sometimes." Sarah confirmed. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Actually it is," AnnaLynne told her. "And next time you're both naked together, ask him for info. He's vulnerable then. He'll tell you anything." She strode off and Sarah sighed.

She hated taking advantage of Josh when he was emotionally vulnerable, especially since he was taking care of her and Ellie so well. But she'd come this far. She couldn't back out now.

* * *

After work, though it made her heart hurt, Sarah headed over to Josh's for an evening date. "Hi," he said when he opened the door. "This is a nice surprise. I wasn't expecting you."

"I thought it _would be_ a nice surprise," Sarah smiled at him. "It's just me tonight. I hope that's okay."

"Well, of course!" Josh smiled, picking her up and bringing her inside the house. "Think of what we can do if we don't have to worry about waking up your daughter?"

"I was hoping you would see it that way," Sarah remarked. "I'm glad you do."

"But first, I feel like we should eat something," Josh decided. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I could eat." She waited in the living room, watching TV until Josh called her into the kitchen where bowls of chili and cornbread were set out on a small wooden table underneath a single hanging light.

"This looks great," Sarah praised. "Where did you learn how to cook?"

"It's just something I picked up here and there," he shrugged off the praise. "I hope you like it."

And Sarah did. It was wonderful. Not too spicy and wonderfully seasoned. And it was so nice to have time to sit down and have a cooked meal that wasn't something from the snack bar. Getting that was a rarity these days because she was usually too tired or too full from work to eat the leftovers her father always put in the fridge.

After the food was gone, they put their dishes in the sink. "Do you want to do those now?" Sarah questioned. "Or leave them there for later?"

"I never do them right away," Josh told her and poked around in one of the kitchen drawers for a mint. He popped it in his mouth, chewed it up, and then smiled at Sarah. "What would you like to do now?" He asked.

"Oh, I think you know," Sarah replied, grabbing him by the belt and walking him to the bedroom.

"I thought so, but I just…I just wanted to check," Josh told her, his breath picking up as she unbuckled him and watched his jeans fall to his ankles before helping him pull off his shirt.

He was grateful she'd worn things that were easy to slip off, cause they were soon in bed with the covers over them, their hands roaming over each other's bodies as they gave each other wild, passionate kisses. Slow, romantic lovemaking was apparently not the order of the night. In fact, at one point, they rolled around so much that they actually fell out of bed and landed hard on the floor, still clinging tightly to one another.

"Okay, that hurt," Josh remarked, panting and pushing Sarah's hair out of her eyes. "What do you say we take a break, huh?"

"Yeah, that probably wouldn't hurt," Sarah agreed. She thought that he was gonna detach himself so they could both climb into bed, but instead, they just lay on the floor beside the bed, stroking each other's hair and trying to catch their breaths.

Sarah knew that this was the perfect moment to do what she had to do so she'd have something to tell AnnaLynne in the morning. "How are things between you and your dad?" She questioned. "Any better?"

"A little," Josh admitted. "He's not outright hostile to me anymore. It's probably because of Katherine. Did you know that they got married and he turned her into a demon?"

Sarah made a face. "But why would he do that?" She wanted to know.

"Oh, you know my dad," Josh told her. "Everything he does is about his big plan. He turned her because Dorian's wife was a demon and he wanted to have just as much power behind him."

"And she just agreed to that?" Sarah was doubtful. Katherine didn't seem like the type.

"Actually she ran off for a bit," Josh corrected. "It was the wedding and promise of pretty things that lured her back. Dad was lonely too, but he'd never admit it. And there's one more thing too: Dorian's got this plot to make demon-supernatural creature hybrids to strengthen us as a species. That's why he married your sister and they had Arthur."

"Is that so?" Sarah asked.

"Yes!" Josh nodded. "But that's not the most important thing."

"Okay, what _is_ the most important thing?" Sarah wanted to know.

"The most important thing is that if Dad and Katherine have a kid, Dad will be ahead because he will have _two_ hybrid demon children. Me, and whoever else is born. And they'll be more powerful than Selina's kids because Katherine's been around longer."

"You're a demon-supernatural creature hybrid?" Sarah asked. "And no one knows?"

"Well, Dad thought it was a shameful thing at first," Josh told her. "That's why he never said anything and probably why he likes to pretend I don't exist. I was his deep dark secret. But now…now he's getting ready to let me come out into the open I think. Or I hope. So I can have the position in society that I've always deserved!"

"Well, I hope that works out for you," Sarah told him, making a mental note to remember all this. "I really do."

* * *

"Can I have a salad and a smoothie?" AnnaLynne asked Sarah the next day. "And any news you picked up from Josh? You remember what we talked about when it came to that?"

"Yes, I remember," Sarah sighed. "What kind of salad and smoothie do you want?"

"Strawberry smoothie with a spinach and strawberry salad," AnnaLynne decided. "Thanks."

When she had it in front of her, she refused to eat or leave her chair until Sarah told her something useful, so she relented.

"Josh told me that it's him and not Arthur that has the title of first hybrid demon," she said. "He married Katherine so he could have more hybrid demon children than Dorian and Selina have, and have them with an older, more powerful vampire."

"How can Josh be the first demon hybrid that no one knows about?" AnnaLynne whispered.

Sarah shrugged. "He must've been an accident. From what I hear, demons used to come and sleep with humans from time to time. And the reason why no one knew about Josh was because actually messing around with humans was shameful for some reason. Rodan had to not let what he'd done get out, lest the other demons turn on him or something. I don't know. I couldn't ask for much more without the risk of creating suspicion."

"No, that's enough for now," AnnaLynne assured her. "I'm amazed you got out as much as you did. It's a great start! I'll even ask the payroll department to put something extra in your paycheck this week!" She patted her on the back, took her salad, and went to eat it at one of the tables, leaving Sarah to feel like the biggest traitor in the world even though she was being paid for her efforts. She thought she was beginning to have some sort of feelings for Josh, even though she couldn't identify them for sure, and because of that, the payoff didn't seem worth it. She'd give all the money back if it meant she didn't have to betray him. But this realization came too late. She couldn't do anything about it now. The price for getting out was much higher than she could afford. So she'd just have to keep spying and pray that Josh didn't find out. That was her only option.


	42. The Guilt Trip

As soon as it was out of her mouth, Sarah was wracked with guilt. She knew she shouldn't have told AnnaLynne as much as she did. She should have said only the stuff about Rodan and that was it. Why'd she have to go tell her everything? She blamed it on the fact that AnnaLynne made her very nervous. She just hoped she would keep her mouth shut. Or if she didn't, she would keep quiet long enough for Sarah to tell Josh goodbye.

"Are you okay?" AnnaLynne asked as Sarah came over to her table. "You look sick."

"Yeah, that's right," Sarah nodded. "I don't feel well all of a sudden. Can I go home, please?"

"Yes, that might be best," AnnaLynne told her. "Get rested up. Would you like me to walk you out to your car? Maybe drive you home, even?"

"That would be a good idea," Sarah said. "Thank you."

So AnnaLynne walked her out to her car and made sure she was buckled in. "All right, let me tell Klaus that I'm taking you home and then I'll be back," she said. "It won't take me long, I swear."

"All right," Sarah nodded, her dark eyes really showing against her pale face.

When AnnaLynne returned, she got in the car and buckled her own seatbelt before turning the key and starting the engine. "That was easy enough," she remarked. "Klaus was more than happy to let me go."

"Thanks again for this," Sarah told her. "You didn't have to."

"Oh, yes, I did," AnnaLynne nodded. "I couldn't let you drive when you looked like death warmed over. You go home and get better."

"All right," Sarah promised. "I will." Already, the knowledge that she was going to get away from AnnaLynne and her staring and questions about Josh was putting her at ease. "I just need to get home and rest and then I'll be as good as new. I promise."

* * *

"Why did you come home from work early?" Matthew asked Sarah as they cleaned up after dinner. "Are you all right? Did you get sick?"

"A little bit," Sarah nodded. "But I feel better now." She paused. "Thanks for asking." She then ran to her room and called Josh. "Hi," she said breathlessly. "I have a big favor to ask you. If you say 'No', it's fine, but…I hope you'll say 'Yes' instead."

"What's wrong?" Josh questioned. "You sound really upset."

"Something happened at work and it really did a number on me," Sarah explained. "Would you mind if I came to spend the weekend with you? I'll bring Ellie."

"Oh, I would love that!" Josh assured her. "And I would _love_ it if you brought Ellie! But how does your father feel?"

"Well, of course he's gonna hate it, but I have to live my life," Sarah replied, determined to take what could very well be her last days with Josh and use them to the fullest. "I'll be at your house with Ellie in half an hour."

"All right," Josh said, trying to sound blasé. He was really excited though. He hadn't expected Sarah to want to come and spend the weekend with him this soon, or at all for that matter. He really _had_ intended for things to be casual between him and Sarah because of how thorny and tangled things were with him and his father, but apparently, that wasn't an option anymore. And odlly enough, he was okay with that.

After she ended the call, she went to pack her and Ellie's things for the weekend and inform her parents of her decision.

"What?" Matthew cried, his eyes wide. "You're taking Ellie to be with that man for the whole weekend?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "What's wrong with that? She and Josh obviously get along very well. It's not like he's a bad influence."

"Just let her go, Matthew," Christine told him, her voice flat. "If she wants to go, there's no use fighting with her about it."

"Well, I'm aware of that," Matthew nodded. "But I don't know about her taking Ellie."

"What now?" Sarah huffed. "Why do you always do this whenever I want to do anything on my own? Do you not trust me to make the right choices?" She paused. "Or do you think Ellie won't like _you_ anymore if she spends time with Josh and not as much time with you?"

"Maybe that's it," Matthew remarked, his cheeks flushing. "Is it wrong to worry that she'll forget about me?"

"Daddy, don't worry about it!" Sarah reassured him, coming over to give him a hug. "She's little. She loves everyone. And the only reason why she goes on about Josh as much as she does is because he's a novelty. I'm sure she won't be as obsessed once she gets used to him."

"Could that be applied to you as well?" Matthew asked hopefully.

It was then that felt a pain in her heart as she thought about what she'd done to Josh once more. "Well, no," she sighed. "But don't worry. Things between me and Josh might end sooner than you think. Just please…let me have my weekend and be patient." She then took Ellie and the bags and left her parents to stare at one another in confusion.

"What do you think that was about?" Christine questioned. "Do you think they had a fight?"

"He was probably unfaithful to her," Matthew guessed. "I bet that's what it was."

"Somehow, I don't think so," Christine disagreed, thinking about just how sad her daughter had looked. "I don't think that's what it was at all."

* * *

As he waited for Ellie and Sarah to arrive, Josh did some redecorating. He made one of the extra rooms into a nursery so she wouldn't always have to curl up on the floor to take a nap. Then he cleaned up the house (not a whole lot-he didn't want to appear desperate) and when Sarah and Ellie arrived, he led them to a little snack tray on the coffee table with cheese, cut up fruit, and crackers.

"Well, what a reception," Sarah smiled. "I thought we were going to be casual and you don't make up a fruit plate for a casual date."

"You don't agree to spend the weekend with them either," Josh smiled, leaning in to kiss Sarah, but then changing his mind at the last minute and kissing Ellie's hair instead.

"Dosh!" the little girl got out and cuddled against him after he took her from her mother's arms.

"That's her new favorite word, you know," Sarah told him. "It's driving my father crazy! He's getting really jealous!"

"Is that so?" Josh grinned and tickled Ellie under her chin. "That's really sweet." They sat in the living room and ate snacks, and then once they were gone, Josh showed Sarah Ellie's room.

"This is so sweet!" she cried, stunned that he would make a room in his house just for when her daughter came to visit. "You really didn't have to do that."

"Oh, I know," Josh replied. "But I think we'll both be glad I did. She can't just sleep on my bedroom floor all the time. That wouldn't be right."

"No," Sarah sighed. "It wouldn't." She gave him a hug. "You're very sweet, you know."

"You keep saying that," Josh smiled. "Most people wouldn't describe me that way."

"Well, that's their problem," Sarah smiled.

Once they were unpacked, they all went outside and let Ellie run around for a bit with a big bouncy ball.

"She's a fast little runner, isn't she?" Josh panted as he and Sarah chased after her.

"Yeah, my dad takes her out to run around a lot," Sarah explained. "He did it with me too."

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," Josh smiled. "I don't know if I would have handled it as well if she was into dolls and tea parties."

"Yeah, I totally get what you mean," Sarah nodded. "Stuff like that is just so foreign to me." They then went to comfort Ellie, who'd tripped and fallen on the ground and was now sobbing her eyes out.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Josh told her and carried her inside. "Where does it hurt?" He kissed her forehead and she instantly perked up.

"Well, aren't you a smooth little operator?" Sarah remarked. But it was said with good humor.

After Ellie had calmed down, they took her back outside until her bath and naptime. Josh handled both and when he came back, he found Sarah restlessly flipping through channels.

"Are you okay?" He questioned, sitting down next to her. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No!" Sarah shook her head. "No, you didn't. In fact, I should be thanking you for being so helpful. It's just that with you doing all that, I don't exactly know what to do with myself in the meantime."

"Really?" Josh asked. "Don't your parents give you a break from time to time?"

"Oh, yeah," Sarah nodded. "But since I wasn't exactly married or anything when I had Ellie, I decided when I was pregnant that I wanted to take care of her as much as I could myself. I didn't want to burden my parents with it."

"I'm sure they don't see it as a burden," Josh comforted her.

"Yeah, not anymore," Sarah agreed. "But she's still largely my responsibility and I don't like avoiding that."

"Well, this weekend, we're _sharing_ the responsibility, if that's all right with you," Josh told her. "I hope you don't mind."

"No," Sarah decided after a brief silence as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Not really."

* * *

But they both put Ellie to bed that night, and as Josh tucked her in, she said something that surprised them.

"Dada," Ellie got out with a smile as Josh tucked the blanket under her chin and reached up for him. "Dada!"

"No, Ellie," Sarah said firmly. It was the first time her daughter had used that name for anyone. "This isn't your daddy. Your daddy is somebody else."

"What?" Josh asked. "Why did you tell her that?"

"Cause it's true," Sarah replied. "As much as I hate to admit it." He looked perturbed and hurt as they left the room. Good if he hated her now, that would make their eventual separation easier for her.

But it didn't take long for him to perk up once they reached the bedroom.

"Why are you so happy now?" Sarah questioned.

"Cause I realized that you have no intention of getting back together with Ellie's birth father and if we keep going as they are, we'll be married someday and I _will_ be Ellie's father." He paused as Sarah stared at him. "Sorry. Am I going too fast?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "I'm touched. And a little surprised."

"Well, you shouldn't be," Josh told her as he grinned and kissed her.

Then they looked into each other's eyes for a bit and then Sarah began nibbling on Josh's earlobe and pulling at his shirt. This time though, their lovemaking was slower than it had been before. Sarah ran her hands over his body and tasted him slowly and surely before running her fingers through his long dark hair. She wanted to savor the moment cause she didn't know how many more she would have.

"You really know what you're doing," he commented after he climaxed. "I feel…I feel so good!" Then he sat and got out of bed, giving Sarah a good look at every muscle in his body. He was well-made. It was like looking at sculpture. She ran her hands over his chest as he held her close and played with her hair. "Do you want a turn?" He asked her. "Just give me some time to rest and you can have it."

"You're very sweet," Sarah gave him a smile. "But I really…I'm tired from all the running around we did today. I think I want to go to bed now. I hope that's okay." She was really thinking that she didn't deserve any of the orgasms he wanted to give her. She sighed and rifled around in the dresser drawer before giving Josh a sheepish look. "I seem to have forgotten pajamas," she said. "Can I borrow a shirt and some boxers?"

"Oh, sure," he told her. He'd noticed that same thing right away and wondered if she'd done it on purpose. "No problem."

After they were settled in bed, Sarah changed her mind and let him kiss her while giving her a good rub, and after that, she went to the bathroom and cuddled against him as he turned off the lights, gave her one last goodnight kiss, and rubbed her back until she fell asleep.


	43. Things I Shouldn't Have Said

"You'll never guess what I heard about Josh from Sarah!" AnnaLynne yelled at her father through the phone.

"What did you hear?" Dorian questioned. "You mean having her spy for you really worked? I hope you got something useful."

"Well, apparently, Arthur isn't the first demon-supernatural creature hybrid." AnnaLynne got out. "Josh says that _he_ is!"

"And you expect me to believe that?" Dorian questioned. "I wouldn't act on this until we have more proof."

"But he confessed!" AnnaLynne said. "How is that not proof enough?"

"Well, Josh and Rodan could have figured out that you hired Sarah to spy so Rodan's feeding Josh a bunch of nonsense to tell Sarah to throw us off his trail. It surprises me that you didn't think of this first, AnnaLynne. It really surprises me."

"And once again, when I expect praise, I get yelled at," AnnaLynne sighed. " _That's_ what's _not_ surprising."

There was a silence and then Dorian sighed. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's really good that you reported this information to me because it very well could be true and then we'll have a whole new set of problems to deal with. But you understand why I'm telling you that you shouldn't just believe everything you hear from Josh at first listen, right?"

"Yeah," AnnaLynne sighed. "I guess I was just so excited to know something that might be useful that I wasn't thinking clearly."

"That's all right," Dorian told her. "I understand. I'll be back from lunch soon. Everything okay with our demon friends?"

"Yeah, they're all under control," AnnaLynne assured her father. "You don't need to rush back or anything if you and Selina are having a date."

"Good," Dorian said. "Thank you for taking care of things when I'm not around. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," AnnaLynne replied, perking up.

As soon as she put her phone down, Josh, who'd overheard her as he came out of the men's room that was nearby, came to stand in her doorway. "Why were you talking to your father about me?" He asked.

"Why are you back here when you had the chance to get away?" AnnaLynne questioned. "Have you decided to do the right thing and be reformed like the rest of your wicked blue demon buddies?"

"No, I came to visit Sarah," Josh said, standing his ground as she approached him. She could be very intimidating when she wanted to be, even to other demons. "We like each other now."

"Oh, I know that," AnnaLynne grinned. "And your relationship has proved very useful."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, his heart sinking. "Is that how you found out about me? About how I'm a demon hybrid? From Sarah? Damn, of course! I don't know how else you could have found out. Cause my father wouldn't just stride in here and blab."

AnnaLynne just smiled as Josh's lip twitched and he tried to hold back the tears that wanted to fall. There was no way he was going to cry in front of her. No fucking way.

Finally, he turned on his heel and strode off back toward the snack bar where he confronted Sarah, rage filling his body and a definite sense of satisfaction flaring up when she screamed bloody murder at the sight of his demon face. "I have to commend you," he told her in the biting, distorted voice of an angry demon. "You're better at being a sneak and a liar than I ever thought you could be!"

Sarah gasped and stepped back from the counter as he came around to grab her. She knew what this was about, obviously. She tried to play dumb, hoping that would make him less angry. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "I'm confused."

"Well, let me enlighten you," Josh hissed, gripping her arms and squeezing them until she cried out in pain. "You told AnnaLynne about my being the first hybrid, didn't you? Did you know when you did it that I told you that in confidence and it was something private and personal you were to keep to yourself? Or did you not care? Was the only reason you had any interest in me at all so you could spy and tell all my secrets to Dorian? Did they pay you to betray me? How much was I worth, Sarah?"

"It was an accident!" Sarah cried, wincing as she tried to pull away. "I meant to just say the stuff about your father, but AnnaLynne made me so nervous that I just said everything! And no, I wasn't with you purely to spy. I genuinely like you and so does Ellie!"

"Well people who really like people don't betray them," Josh reminded her. "You would have kept your mouth shut if you really cared!"

"It's not as simple as all that!" Sarah called as he threw her down on the ground, turned on his heel and walked away from the snack bar. "Josh, listen to me. Please!"

"No, thanks," he said and gave her the finger. "Not really interested. You can go to hell for all I care."

* * *

In the following days, Josh's phone rang what seemed like a million times, and each call was Sarah trying to apologize again and get his forgiveness. He didn't get up to answer any of them. He always let the machine do that. He just stayed in a prone position, his face down on the floor.

Finally, he looked up, his face wet. He then let out a growl as he listened to the same apology one more time. Exactly what she'd told him at the snack bar.

"Josh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell AnnaLynne about you. She made me nervous, it slipped out. I know that doesn't excuse anything, but-"

"No!" He growled and banged his phone on the floor until it broke. "No, no, no, no, no!" He couldn't believe her. All that time, he thought she cared. All the time he felt human feelings he was beginning to tolerate. They had been lies just so he would betray his father and his kind to Dorian. Sarah was nothing but a Mata Hari. A sneaky, cheap thrill meant to rip him to pieces when he was most vulnerable. That bitch. He still loved Ellie. But if he never saw her mother again, it would be too soon.

He punched a hole in the wall just as a voice startled him and made him turn around. "What's the matter? What did that wall do to you? Were you thinking of Dad just now?"

"Christian!" He smiled and came toward his brother. "So nice to see you! What brings you here?"

"Dad, unfortunately," Christian said. "Please don't hold that against me, though. He just hasn't heard from you for a while and is beginning to worry."

Josh scoffed at this. "Is that so? I thought he would enjoy the silence, seeing as how I can never seem to do anything right by him. Including my latest screw up. Oh, you won't believe this!"

"What happened?" Christian wanted to know.

"Well, against my better judgment, I began caring for a woman," Josh told his brother. "She was so kind and loving and made me feel…human, you know? And she has the most adorable daughter. But then today, I found out that the only reason she was with me was so she could find out all my and dad's deepest and darkest secrets and blab them to Dorian Gray and his insufferable daughter to use against us!"

"Oh, my god, that's low!" Christian exclaimed.

"I know!" Josh nodded. "She's been trying to apologize ever since, but it's always the same thing…about how it's not her fault and she really _does_ love me. But I shouldn't believe her. That would be stupid, even for me, right?"

"Love isn't necessarily a smart thing," Christian told her. "It's not logical. I mean, look at Jill: She knew for some time before she met me that I was going to kill her, but she loved me anyway. She had my daughter. And even after I _did_ kill her and then brought her back by making her a demon, she still found it in herself to forgive me. Some people would find that stupid. But the fact was, we couldn't live without each other. Do you feel the same way about this woman and her daughter?"

"Yes," Josh nodded immediately. "I do. I do miss them. And I want to believe her when she says she loves me."

"So do it!" Christian shrugged. "I mean, if she's as desperate as she sounds to get you to believe her apology, she must love you too."

"If she loved me, she wouldn't have betrayed me," Josh repeated bitterly.

"Maybe you should try believing her when she says that she was intimidated into saying what she said, or that she's sorry," Christian told her. "Sure, ideally she wouldn't have told all your secrets if she really liked you, but if you really love _her_ , shouldn't you at least give her a chance to try and make things right? Love's a two-way street, remember."

"What the hell are you saying?" Josh asked in stunned amazement as he looked at his brother. "Why are you so mushy and sounding like a bad romance novel all of a sudden?"

"Cause I want you to be happy, and I don't want you to ruin what could be a good thing by being stubborn and throwing a good relationship away, all right?" Christian told him, even though he doubted his brother would listen to a word he said.

"All right," Josh got out and sighed. "I'm not quite ready to yet, but when I've calmed down…I suppose I could give her another chance."

"Good," Christian told him. "You really should. It's a good thing."

"I don't know," Josh huffed, his eyes narrowing. "We'll see about that. And did you say Dad wanted to talk to me?"

"Not particularly," Christian shook his head. "He just wanted me to make sure you weren't dead. I'll tell him that you're very much alive and he doesn't need to worry anymore."

"Oh, Dad's never worried about me," Josh sighed.

"I have," Christian told him. "Why do you think I came over here in person when I could have just called?"

"Thanks," Josh told him. "Thanks a lot."

* * *

"I have something I'd like to say to you," Sarah told AnnaLynne firmly not long after. "And you're not gonna like it."

"All right," AnnaLynne nodded. "What is it?"

"I don't want to spy on Josh for you anymore," Sarah told her. "I know it gets me extra money, but if that money is earned at Josh's expense, I don't want it."

"What's so great about him that you'd give up a chance for extra money?" AnnaLynne asked. "Don't tell me that you're falling for whatever sob story he's telling you. I thought you were smarter than that."

"Well, I have more of a heart, obviously," Sarah snapped. "I know Josh in ways you never will, and that look on his face when you told him about what I said…it was terrible. It made me feel more awful than I've ever felt in my whole life. He broke up with me because of this whole mess, you know. And when you're like me, when you're a single mother, real relationships with people who understand are hard to come by, so I'm gonna do whatever I can to make things right with Josh, and I'm starting by ceasing to do what ruined things for us and for him. From now on, if you want information on Rodan, get it yourself."

To say AnnaLynne was surprised by this outburst would be an understatement. Her mouth opened and closed several times and she hissed as she backed away from the snack bar and went back to Klaus.

Once she was gone, Sarah's bravado faded away, though, and she spent the rest of the day praying that what she'd said wouldn't get her fired. Cause she really couldn't afford that. Especially not now.

* * *

After several days of not hearing from Josh, Sarah finally decided to go apologize in person. Josh had given her a key, so she took Ellie (as a surprise cause she figured he wouldn't be in the mood to see her alone) and drove to Josh's house. She got out of the car and went up to the front door, but when she tried to unlock it, she realized the locks had been changed.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Josh called from the other side of the door. "I'm not going to let you in here! Give me Ellie and go away!"

"No, I'm not ready to have you be with Ellie alone yet!" Sarah called back. "You wanna see her, you invite me in!"

"Damn you!" Josh cursed her as he opened the door. "All right, come in. And give me Ellie."

Sarah did just that and they made their way to the living room, sitting down on opposite sofas.

"What did you want?" Josh barked. "I thought my silence would be a clue that I didn't want to speak to you yet."

"What kind of way is that to solve a problem?" Sarah wanted to know. "You haven't even let me explain myself!"

"Every message on my voicemail is you explaining yourself!" Josh cried. "I get it. You've explained. But that doesn't make what you did okay. I can't do this anymore, Sarah. We're done. I'm not interested in your apologies."

Then Christian's voice sounded in his head again " _if she's as desperate as she sounds to get you to believe her apology, she must love you too._ "

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, his face relaxing.

"What?" Sarah asked.

"Why do you want me to believe your apology so bad?" He questioned. "So you can feel better about yourself and end our relationship untouched by guilt?"

"No," Sarah shook her brown head. "I want you to believe in my apology so we can stay in a relationship and move forward. I've missed you and everything our relationship has given me when we've been apart. I can't live without you."

"How can I trust you now that I know you're spying for Dorian?" Josh asked, eyes narrowed.

"I'm not spying for AnnaLynne and Dorian anymore," Sarah sighed. "Even though the extra money helped me, after you confronted me and I realized how much I hurt you and how much I missed you, I decided to tell her that I wanted to quit. That all the money in the world wasn't worth hurting you."

"You…you did?" Josh asked. He was surprised. "Do you mean it?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "AnnaLynne was so pissed, but it was worth it. Can you forgive me? Ellie would appreciate it very much. She missed you too."

"Well, if it will help Ellie, I would be more than happy to forgive you," he told her and gave the baby a hug while also kissing Sarah. "And I…I have to admit that I kind of missed you too while we were apart.

"Just kind of?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"All right, a lot!" Josh confessed. "If it was just a little bit, I wouldn't have cared so much."

"Yeah, well…I'm sorry for what happened," Sarah said. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I know I always said it wasn't my fault, but…I didn't have to say what I said. Thanks for giving me the second chance. It was a nice thing for you to do for me and Ellie."

"I didn't just do it for you," Josh told Sarah and put his arms around her and Ellie. "I did it for all of us."


	44. A Fly In The Ointment

Sarah decided to have her and Ellie stay the night, something she called and told her parents about immediately.

"I'm so glad to hear that things are working out between the two of you again," Christine told her. "I'll let your father know you're staying. Have a good evening, Sarah."

"I will, Mom," Sarah assured her. "Thanks!"

After she ended the call, she headed to bed and found Josh all tucked in and facing away from her. He didn't seem to be moving. Worried, she reached out and touched him. "Josh?" She asked. "Are you all right?" He rolled over to face her and she let out a shriek. His demon face was showing in all its blue glory. She started to run toward the bathroom, but the more she looked at him, just innocently sleeping there, he didn't seem so scary. She climbed into bed beside him, took his blue face between her hands, and gently kissed his lips. "Tired?" She asked.

"Yeah," Josh yawned. "Did I scare you?"

"A little," Sarah admitted. "I'm looking at your demon face."

"Sorry," Josh apologized.

"It's all right," Sarah assured him. "Now that I'm seeing it up close, it's very handsome."

Josh smiled. "Do you mean it?" He asked.

"Of course," Sarah nodded. "I've got vampire blood in me. I'm not a stranger to a monster face."

"Well, I promise you'll only see it when absolutely necessary, unless you ask," he assured her as she snuggled beside him and he pulled the covers over both of them.

* * *

Sarah was glad that, when Ellie woke up sobbing at two in the morning, Josh remained sound asleep so she could handle it.

"Hi, Ellie Bean," She said when she reached Ellie's room. At the sight of her mother, Ellie stopped crying and reached for her. "What's the matter? Are you okay?" She checked all the usual causes of distress and found that Ellie seemed fine.

"Maybe you were just a little lonely, huh?" Sarah surmised as she took her daughter out of her crib and brought her to the open window, and as they both looked out into the night, a full moon was clearly visible. "Isn't it pretty, Ellie?" She sucked in her breath. "I love full moons."

Ellie did too. She stared out the window in silence as her mother rubbed her back and when she was asleep on Sarah's shoulder, Sarah put her back to bed, tucking her in and kissing her hair before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

As she turned to go down the dark hallway back to her and Josh's bedroom, she nearly let out a shriek as a shape approached her, but then she breathed a sigh of relief when a flashlight clicked on and she saw that it was just Josh himself, come to look for her.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Ellie was having trouble sleeping and you didn't hear it. I didn't want to wake you, so I took care of it myself."

"Excellent," Josh smiled. "So glad that worked out." He took her hand then and led her back to bed. The rest of the night was spent sleeping without interruptions, which was how they both liked it.

* * *

Because Sarah had taken the night shift, it was Josh who was up with Ellie the next morning, and when a yawning, half-awake Sarah dragged herself into the kitchen for coffee, she found them making pancakes.

"Good morning!" Josh greeted her. "Would you like pancakes? And if so, chocolate chip or plain?"

"I would like coffee first," Sarah replied. "Then I would like chocolate chip."

"Shame on you, Miss Ellie," Josh chided the toddler in a teasing way. "You kept your mother up all night and now she's tired."

"Oh, don't blame her," Sarah shook her head. "It's not any different from how things normally are." She picked Ellie up from the floor where she sat and carried her to a seat at the table, sitting her daughter on her lap as she drank her coffee. "No," She said firmly when Ellie tried to drink some coffee from the cup. "This is not a drink for energetic toddlers. This is a drink for their mommies who are just about to face plant in their pancakes." She finished her cup and Josh offered to pour her another one as he set her pancakes down in front of her, followed by Ellie's on the tray of her high chair. Hers had been cut into little pieces so she could pick them up and eat them with her fingers.

"I think she likes pancakes," Sarah remarked with a chuckle as Josh sat beside her and they watched Ellie devour the small pancake pile, her fingers and face covered in chocolate chip goo. She was grinning widely as she emptied her plate and pushed it away.

"More," she got out.

"Should I give her more?" Josh questioned. "I don't want to make her sick."

"Oh, a couple more pancakes wouldn't hurt," Sarah shrugged. "Werewolf genes give you a higher than average metabolism so she could probably use the energy."

"Not that we've ever seen her be tired," Josh remarked and grabbed Ellie's plate to refill it. "What about you? Could you use a few more pancakes? There are plenty left."

"Well, I didn't inhale mine like Ellie did, but I wouldn't refuse one more," Sarah told him. "Thanks."

After they finished eating, they all went to dress for the day. As Sarah pulled Ellie's little jeans and socks on, her phone rang. When she pulled it out of her pocket and saw the number of the person on the other end, she nearly dropped it. It was Junior, finally calling after all this time. She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer it or not. Finally, she chose to because if she didn't answer now, he would probably just keep calling. "Hello, Sean," she said. "What makes you finally want to call after all this time?"

"Wow, you still have this number?" Sean Mikaelson asked in amazement. "I thought you would have changed it by now."

"Well, I should have, but I've kind of been busy raising a daughter by myself and dealing with other more pressing matters," Sarah snapped. "Now, what do you want?"

"Mom told me that you took the money I've been sending you," he said. "Has it been doing you a lot of good?"

"It's helped," she admitted. "Where did you get it? You didn't steal it, did you?"

"No, I earned it," Sean replied. "With a combination of magic and smarts, I got myself through medical school early and got a job that pays very well."

"Well, good for you, but since you're settled in, that probably means I won't ever see you again, will I?" Sarah wanted to know. "Not that it matters. I'm picking up the pieces of my life. I've got a new man now. I'm happy."

"Oh?" Sean asked. "What's he like? Is he really a demon? Cause that's what I heard from my mom. Do you think having Ellie around a man like that is a good idea?"

"I can't believe you just said that!" Sarah cried. "I can't believe that the man who just left the second he found out he was going to be a parent now feels he has the right to criticize the man who actually _wants_ to bond with Ellie and have a place in her life. Fuck you and goodbye!" She let out a growl of frustration that caused Ellie to eye her nervously.

"Sorry," Sarah apologized as she tied Ellie's shoes. "Mommy's just a little frustrated right now. And I want you to know that you can call Josh 'Daddy' whenever you want. It doesn't matter to me anymore."

* * *

Josh came with Sarah to drop Ellie back off at her parents' so she could go to work. "Okay, Ellie," she told her daughter. "Wanna say goodbye to Uncle Josh?"

"Fuck you!" Ellie got out with a smile.

"What did I do?" Josh asked, feeling not so much offended as shocked. "Where did she learn that?"

"I got a frustrating phone call and swore in front of her," Sarah explained. "I just hope she doesn't repeat it in front of my father. My mom would just laugh, but Daddy would probably have some sort of coronary."

"Your mom is more at ease about swearing than your dad is?" Josh asked. "That's a twist."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Sarah then knocked on the door and waited for her mother to come and answer it.

"Thanks for watching Ellie today," she told her mother when Christine showed up and she put Ellie in her arms. "And just to warn you, I accidentally swore in front of her, so she might repeat it. Don't let Dad get too freaked out."

"I'll try and warn him ahead of time," Christine assured her. "You two have a good day."

"We sure will," Sarah told her. "See you tonight, Mom!"

* * *

"So you actually helped bring Josh and Sarah together?" Jill asked, looking at Christian adoringly. "That's so sweet."

"Well, I hope I did," Christian remarked. "But Josh is very stubborn, so who knows?"

His eye then found Nate, who was heading out the door. Both Nate and Ben were staying with him and Jill while their parents were out of town. "Which one are you again?" He asked. "Are you the one I have to warn about not causing trouble?"

"No, that's Ben," Nate told him. "I'm Nate. I'm the good one."

"Well good," Christian nodded. "Where are you off to?"

"Lydia and I are gonna go to a concert," Nate said. "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"All right," Christian nodded. "Have a good time!"

Once Nate was gone, Christian smiled at Jill. "I'm so glad things have been calm around here. No freaky visions or anything?"

"Not recently," Jill shook her head. "Do you think we should invite Josh and Sarah over to visit if they get back together?"

"I think that would be nice!" Christian nodded. "And I have no doubt they're a couple again. Josh seemed really in love with her, even if he was doing his best to hide it."

"Why don't you call him in a few days and set something up then?" Jill suggested. "Or whenever you have time."

"All right," Christian agreed. "I will. I think this will be good for him."

"And I don't think it would hurt us to broaden our social circle either," Jill added.

* * *

"I really wish they would work on Sarah's schedule at the gym," Malachai remarked to Christine. "I hardly ever get to see her."

"Well, she's a hard-working girl," Christine told him. "But I'm sure that if she knew you wanted to see her, she would make time."

"I don't know why you let her work at that demon gym in the first place," Malachai sighed. "All kinds of bad things could happen there!"

"She got the job because of Patrick," Sarah reminded him. "I'm sure he's looking out for her."

"I hope so," Malachai nodded, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "We have to watch ourselves around demons, you know. They're very nefarious. Especially the blue ones. They know just how to push emotional buttons so you get pulled into their web before you know you have."

"Has Matthew told you anything about her new boyfriend, Josh?" Christine questioned.

"No," Malachai shook his head. "Anything I should know?" He turned just as Matthew came into the room. "What's going on with Sarah's new boyfriend that you haven't told me yet?"

"Oh," Matthew cleared his throat as Christine made a panicked face and shook her head. "She's dating a young man named Josh, and she really seems to like him."

"Do you like him?" Malachai questioned. "Is he good for her? Does he treat her well?"

"Yes," Matthew had to admit. "He treats her nicely. He's so nice that I forget he's a demon sometimes."

"What?" Malachai's eyes widened. "Sarah is dating a demon? Why are you allowing this? You have to stop it! Where the hell are they?" He got up and ran out of the room.

"Nice going, Matthew," Christine narrowed her eyes at her husband, who was blushing furiously. He and Christine had vowed that they wouldn't mention that Josh was a demon to Malachai because they thought Sarah should do that herself. But it was out of the bag now and there was nothing they could do about it.

"I didn't mean to tell, I swear," Matthew told her. "I know we said we'd let Sarah handle that bit of news, but it just popped out!"

"So you didn't blurt it out for malicious reasons?" Christine asked. "Some lingering dislike of Josh, perhaps?"

"No!" Matthew shook his head. "How can I dislike him when he's lifted some of Sarah's burdens, made her intensely happy, and treated Ellie like his own from the second he saw her? He's a better man than I originally thought. I just hope Malachai doesn't wreck things."

"Me either," Christine sighed. "Cause I don't think Sarah and Ellie will ever do as good as Josh again. _Ever."_


	45. Christian's Two Nights Out

Finding out about Sarah and her demon boyfriend gave Malachai the motivation to do something he never thought he would do: he phoned John, his sworn rival.

"What is it you want?" John questioned. "I never thought there would be a reason you'd want to talk to me. Are you calling to apologize?"

"No," Malachai scoffed. "I didn't even call to talk to you specifically. We're not going to be chatting like friends. I just…I need to know what Sean's number is. I have to talk to him."

"About what?" John asked. "You're not going to give him any trouble, are you?"

"No, you idiot," Malachai replied. "I just…I need to talk to him about Sarah. You remember Sarah, right? The one you kidnapped?"

"Yes, I remember her," John sighed. "What's she gotten into now?"

"She's gotten involved with a demon, and I want Sean to help me stop the relationship so she doesn't make the biggest mistake of her life."

"Oh, my goodness, she got herself involved with a demon?" John questioned. "I bet it was a blue one. They have a real skill for manipulating the emotionally vulnerable."

"You know, I don't need a lecture," Malachai snapped. "I just need Sean's number. Will you give it to me?"

"All right," John agreed. "I'm just really surprised you're willing to do something that will probably drive your daughter away from you possibly for forever."

"And why do you care about the relationship between me and my daughter?" Malachai questioned.

"I don't," John assured him. "I just think it's an interesting fact is all. But you feel you're doing this for a good reason, so your conscience is completely clear."

"Sean's number!" Malachai yelled. "Please!"

"Well, okay, but I don't know why you're yelling. I can hear you just fine. Are you trying to make me go deaf?" John questioned before giving him Sean's number and finally, mercifully, ending the conversation.

After that, he took the number he'd been given and called Sean. And as he'd suspected, the young man was not exactly pleased to hear from him.

"What is it that you want?" Sean snapped when he heard his voice. "Are you calling to scold me for how I treated Sarah?"

"Actually, it's just the opposite," Malachai informed him. "Are you busy? Could you take a plane to America as soon as possible? Cause Sarah is dating a demon now, and she's exposing Ellie to all sorts of bad things. Don't you think your daughter should be protected from that? And that Sarah needs to be protected from herself?"

"Oh, yes," Junior agreed. "Of course. You know, I called Sarah the other day to tell her that I'd rushed finishing medical school and she didn't seem too happy to hear from me. And in a way, I suppose I understand why, but since I finished school and I intend to come back and make it up to her for leaving her and Ellie in the first place, I don't know why she has to be so mean and ungrateful."

"Well, demons make people react in crazy ways, don't they?" Malachai asked. "Now, do you really intend to apologize for leaving? I think she has the right to be mad about that."

"Yes!" Sean assured him. "I do intend to apologize. Things won't be so pleasant with Sarah if I don't."

Malachai sighed. "Well, as long as you're doing it for such unselfish reasons."

"Was that sarcasm?" Sean cried. "I _am_ apologizing for unselfish reasons, okay?"

"Just get over here and stop this whole demon mess, all right?" Malachai snapped. "You think you can do that? And fast?

"Yes," Sean nodded. "Of course I can."

* * *

Sarah, of course, disagreed _very_ strongly with the idea that being with Josh was the biggest mistake of her life. She thought the exact opposite, and was more than happy to tell that to anyone who would listen, including Josh's brother Christian, who came to spend the evening with them, along with his wife Jill, who was Sarah's sister.

"You know, Josh hasn't talked much about his family besides his father," Sarah smiled. "I'm so glad to know you in this new way, Christian."

Christian smiled as he shook her hand. "And I'm so glad the two of you are still together. I was the one who told him to get his act together and fight for you, you know."

"You did?" Sarah smiled. "Well, thank you for that. But I was part of the problem too. It wasn't just him." She paused. "Oh, and thank you for agreeing to have this gathering at our house. Everyone who usually watches Ellie decided to have date night too, and you can't just leave a toddler alone."

"Oh, boy do we know that," Jill agreed. She was holding a broadly grinning Ellie on her lap. "Our daughter was easy enough, but when we helped her watch her twins…they were more of a handful for the brief time they were little."

Ellie then motioned to be let off of Jill's lap, picked up one of her toy balls, and threw it at Christian's head, where it bounced off.

"Eleanor, that's not polite, even if you _do_ want to play with him!" Sarah remonstrated.

"It's all right," Christian smiled and threw the ball back as Sarah sat still, stunned that Ellie had charmed another person. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" Sarah questioned. "Cause she doesn't have to be in here. I can move her into her bedroom and have her play with her toys until we're done. That wouldn't be a problem."

"Oh, no!" Jill exclaimed as Ellie came to sit on her lap again with the ball in her fist. "I like her. I think she's adorable. After raising little boys for so long, it's nice to be around a little girl for a change." She paused. "In fact, any time you guys want to go out, we'd be more than happy to babysit." She looked at Christian for confirmation. "Wouldn't we?"

"Oh, of course," Christian nodded. "Definitely."

"Especially with her father coming and all," Jill got out, her eyes glassy and her voice flat. "I bet you want a bunch of places to keep her while he's here, don't you?"

"What?" Sarah's jaw dropped and Josh grabbed her hand to stop her from launching herself off the sofa. "What did you say about Sean coming?"

"He's coming to get Ellie," Jill elaborated, her face and voice just as it always was when she was having a premonition. "I'd watch her extra carefully if I were you."

"You…you're making this up!" Sarah told her, even though she knew about Jill's visions. They were hard to believe if you were an outsider.

"Oh, Jill is psychic, remember?" Christian told her.

"Oh, right, it's been so long since I saw it happen that I forgot." Sarah remarked after Jill came back to reality. "Thanks for the warning about my ex coming. I should have figured he would, with all that talk about finishing medical school early, and how much I suck as a mother for letting Ellie be around demons, even though I haven't met many horrible ones."

"Some people just don't like us," Christian shrugged. "That's their prerogative, I guess, but sometimes they're wrong."

"Tell me, please, if you can remember," Sarah asked Jill. "Was there anything in your premonition of Ellie getting hurt or killed or anything like that?"

"It didn't seem like it," Jill shook her head. "But I wouldn't rule anything out if I were you."

"Oh, I won't," Sarah said, taking Ellie from her and holding her close.

"And on that note," Josh stood up and tried to relieve the tension. "Should I order pizza? Is one supreme and one pepperoni all right with everyone?"

"Yes," they all answered.

When the pizza came, Sarah found that she was too nervous to eat and let Ellie eat her slices instead before she took her daughter to bed.

"You don't mind if I spend the night in Ellie's bedroom from now on, do you?" She asked Josh later. "I hope that doesn't bother you."

"No, it's perfectly understandable," Josh assured her, getting out of bed and grabbing a pillow before giving Sarah a tight hug. "In fact, let's both do it. Do you think the extra bed is big enough?"

* * *

Christian's habit of hanging out with friends who had babies continued when he visited Sam and Leslie, who were still very much in love with Sammy Jr, even though the dog wasn't so much anymore.

"I don't get him," Sam remarked as Sport whimpered and rubbed his head against his leg. "It's not like we've neglected him since baby Sam came along." He scratched the dog behind the ears with the arm that wasn't wrapped around baby Sam. "Just be patient, boy. You'll get your turn."

"Hi, Christian!" Leslie greeted as she came to join them after her nap. "I'm so glad to see you. Having someone from outside the house to socialize with is a real blessing." She then reached out for her son. "Sam, I can take him. I bet Christian wants to spend time with you and not be bored out of his mind hearing baby stories."

"Oh, it's fine," Christian assured her. "My brother's girlfriend has a toddler and he's just besotted with her. When Jill and I went on a double date with them, we had to stay home and hang out with her kid, and you could just tell from looking at him that he was having the time of his life."

That made Sam change his mind. "You wanna go get a drink?" He asked.

"If you don't mind going to the place you work on your night off, sure," Christian smiled and got to his feet. "Thanks."

They bade Leslie and baby Sam goodbye, and Leslie said, "I think I'm gonna go try and flatten his hair again. "The way it sticks up just drives me crazy."

"Oh, it's not that bad," Sam grinned and hugged his son goodbye. "It'll be so cool to have it that way when he's older."

"We'll see about that," Leslie told him as he gave her a wink and then set off with Christian to the Underground.

* * *

"Hey, Sam!" Roxie called, pausing wiping down the bar to watch as he and Christian entered. "Nice to see you! Did you just come to party? I assume so since it's your night off."

"You got it!" Sam told her. "And you remember Christian, right?"

"Oh, yes," Roxie nodded and reached out to shake Christian's hand. "Nice to see you, too."

"Thanks," Christian told her. "Can I have a beer, please? It doesn't matter what kind. I'll have whatever Sam usually has."

"All right," Roxie agreed and after looking around on the shelves, plunked two bottles down in front of the men. "So what brings you here on a night like this?"

"I was trying to keep Christian from having to spend another night in the company of a baby," Sam explained. "Apparently when he went to visit his brother, they spent a lot of time with a toddler."

"I totally get wanting to have a night off when you have kids," Roxie sympathized. "When my twins were little, there were some nights where I just couldn't wait to get a few minutes of peace and quiet."

"Oh, we weren't _really_ that bad, were we?" Addie asked as she followed Vince up from the basement.

"Hey, I'm not saying I didn't love you," Roxie replied. "But children can be trying. Especially when two need your attention, but one of them is suffering from physical after effects of being brought back from the dead and can't walk properly, among other things."

"True," Addie conceded. "But you pulled through it like a champ."

"Thanks," Roxie told her. "We really did do our best."

After Christian and Sam finished their beers, they hopped off their bar stools and told Roxie 'Goodbye'.

"You wanna dance?" Sam asked.

"Not really," Christian shook his head. "I just wanna play pool."

"Okay," Sam nodded and led Christian to the pool room. "Sounds good to me."


	46. A Game Of Thrones

"Hello," Katherine greeted as the front door of her and Rodan's house was flung open and Dorian strode in. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have much time for pleasantries," Dorian told her. "Is Rodan here?"

"Yes," Katherine assured him, running to block the entrance to the hallway that contained the room where Rodan liked to hang out during the day until Dorian said why he was here. "Can you tell me what you need him for?"

"My daughter told me something very troubling that I want to talk to him about," Dorian informed her. "I just want to talk with him. I won't cause any trouble, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Katherine asked. "No offense, but I think…I think I'll be in the room while the two of you talk."

"All right," Dorian shrugged as Katherine stepped aside and they both made their way down the hallway. "I told you that I'm not going to start trouble, but if you want to stay and make sure, I have no trouble with that."

When they reached the door of Rodan's room, Katherine gave Dorian a signal to pause while she knocked on the door. "Rodan, are you busy?"

"No, what do you want?" Rodan called. "Want to have private time?" There was a pause and then he said, "Okay, come in!"

When Katherine and Dorian entered, they stared at Rodan in shock. He was sitting in his leather desk chair, clearly naked. "What are you doing?" Katherine asked. "I didn't say I wanted to come in and have sex."

"Well, since you usually do, I just assumed," Rodan told her.

"Why would I ask that and then bring Dorian in with me?" Katherine questioned.

"Don't ask that question," Dorian urged. "Just don't. It won't assuage his worries at all. Just give him his pants and then we can get down to business."

Katherine frowned. "Not very polite, are you?" She asked and threw Rodan his clothes. "Do you want us to step outside while you put your clothes on again?" She wanted to know.

"Even if he says 'No', I'm still going out into the hallway until he's got clothes on," Dorian told her and left the room.

He waited in the hallway, fidgeting and playing with his cufflinks, until Katherine called him back into the room.

"Are you sure it's safe to come back?" Dorian called back. "Is everyone clothed?"

"Yes," Katherine told him. "We both are, I promise."

Dorian decided to take a chance and trust, heading back into the room. "All right," he said and dragged a chair over to the side of the desk opposite Rodan. "Do you know why I'm here?"

"No," Rodan smiled. "But I can't wait to find out."

"I know that Josh is older than Arthur," Dorian told him. "Are you planning to do something against me with that information?"

"So what if I am?" Rodan challenged. "Don't I have the right to challenge you if my hybrid son is older than yours? I don't want you to have what's rightfully mine."

"It doesn't matter if your hybrid son is older than mine!" Dorian cried. "I was created the first demon ever, which gives me seniority. And when in the hell did you have a hybrid son? Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"Because he was evidence that I had disobeyed Hazel's edict to stay contained until she released us," Rodan replied. "And do you remember what the punishment was for that?"

"Yes," Dorian nodded. "I do, so I guess I understand why you didn't say anything in general, even though you could have trusted me with your secret."

"And since you understand, does that mean you'll do the right thing and let my sons come ahead of yours?" Rodan asked. "Will you make it easy?"

"No!" Dorian shook his head and turned to Katherine. "Can you believe him? He knows that I was the first demon ever made and _that_ is what determines who rules, not who has the oldest child."

"Well, I don't know," Katherine told him. "I think he has a point."

"You would," Dorian scoffed. "Of course you would."

"Then why did you think you could get sympathy out of her?" Rodan smirked. "Are you an idiot?"

"No, _you're_ the idiot," Dorian replied. " _You're_ the one who's stupid enough to try and go against the hierarchy that Hazel set up for us to keep the peace and make sure we're focused on our job of keeping the peace among the species. We have more important things to do than bicker about who gets to be the boss."

"Yeah," Rodan's eyes narrowed. "Of course the person who gets to be the boss would say something like that. We don't even know if Arthur is the type to be able to handle running the demon world."

Dorian raised an eyebrow. "And you think that Christian or Josh would do better?"

"Of course they could!" Rodan said. "I think they should have a chance to prove it."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Dorian questioned. Naturally, he was against this from the start, but it occurred to him that it might be best to play along, at least for a while. He knew that he had been doing well running things. He had no reason to think that Rodan or either of his sons could do better. But the only way Rodan would see that is if he experienced it.

"I think the answer should be obvious," Rodan told him. "You go on the news and say you're stepping down, and announce that I and my sons are taking your place. Simple as that."

"Well, I'm not stepping down," Dorian informed him. "I'm not just going to let you rule in my place. I'm perfectly happy where I am, and if I may say, doing what you propose would be a step down for the demon world."

Rodan narrowed his eyes. "I'll prove you wrong," he told him. "You wait and see."

"Fine," Dorian replied. "Do what you will. I can't wait to see it." He got up and headed in the direction of the door, pausing only to acknowledge Katherine for a moment. "Goodbye," he told her. "Have a nice day." He didn't wait for her to respond before leaving the house, getting in his car, and going to tell Selina, and especially Arthur, what had happened.

* * *

"What do you mean I might not be the rightful ruler?" Arthur asked a frustrated Dorian. He was less frustrated about this idea than his father. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, but don't worry," Dorian assured him. "We'll keep our hold on the throne. You won't lose everything you've been raised for."

"All right," Arthur remarked. "Good." He didn't have the heart to tell his father that if something went wrong and got in the way of the family's position, he wouldn't mind, cause that would free him to have a happy life with Lily, unencumbered by ridiculous ceremony or obligations to the demon nobles. "What happens now? Are you gonna pit me Rodan's son against each other in a fight to the death and whoever wins will be the rightful ruler?"

"Oh, no, don't be silly," Dorian scoffed. "We can be more diplomatic and adult than that."

"Good," Arthur nodded. "Cause I'm not ready to die yet."

"Are you saying that you're willing to fight for our position?" Dorian questioned. He was very surprised by this.

Arthur sighed. "If it means a lot to you, I will help you keep our position in the demon world," he said. "You can count on me."

"Thank you, Arthur," Dorian hugged his son. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Arthur replied.

Then Dorian went to tell Selina what he and Rodan had talked about.

"Do you think it's going to be a difficult fight?" Selina asked. "Do we have to worry about Rodan taking desperate steps to usurp us?"

"I don't doubt it," Dorian said. "So I'm repeating what I've always told you: just watch your back. Be prepared to stand up for what's ours."

"Oh, yeah," Selina nodded. "Of course. And just for my information…who is Rodan thinking of putting on the throne after him? Josh?"

"I don't think so, but we shouldn't rule anything out," Dorian said. "Either Josh or Christian."

"Do you think Josh knows this?" Selina asked. "Should I warn Sarah? Do you think she knows?"

"I don't think so," Dorian told her. "I don't think Josh knows. Tell Sarah so that she and Josh can be ready for what Rodan will ask of them." He paused. "And do you think that Sarah will be willing to help us in return?"

"I don't know," Selina shrugged as she grabbed her phone to call her sister. "It could be."

* * *

"I heard the most interesting things from my sister," Sarah told Josh. "She thought I would want to know that Dorian and your dad are having some intense words about who's gonna rule now, since Dorian knows you're older than Arthur. What do you think of that?"

"I don't think it's anything to worry about," Josh told her. "If you have ideas in your head about becoming royalty, don't get too attached to them. If Dad would put forth any of his children to rule, it would be Christian, not me."

Sarah gave Josh a hug. "Now, what I'm about to say has nothing to do with you being king or whatever, but…why do you always think your father sees no value in you? Do you really agree with this idea that Christian is everything and you're nothing? Cause I don't think that's right."

"You don't?" Josh asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course!" Sarah nodded. "You are a wonderful, compassionate person! Not many men would not only date a single mother but accept and love their child as fully as you've accepted Ellie, and that counts for something."

"I'm not a warrior or a planner," Josh confessed.

"I can be," Sarah told him. "I mean, think about it: we've had days where I've gone off to work and you've watched Ellie. That worked for us. And we can think of other things for you to do. I will make your father see you as worthy if it's the last thing I do!"

"And how will you do that?" Josh questioned. "You're not gonna push me forward as the go-to guy my father should pick to be his successor if he starts ruling the demon world, are you?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "You say that's not what you want and I respect that. But don't you…don't you want your father's respect? If you don't, I'll drop the whole plan. I'm fine with our family just being you, me, and Ellie, if that's what you want. Or if you even _want_ us to be a family." She blushed. "Maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself."

"No, silly," Josh hugged her. "You live in my house, I feel like your daughter is mine…I love you both more than anything in the whole world…we're already a family. All we need to do now is some formal business with papers."

"You mean you want us to get married?" Sarah questioned. "Are you…are you _proposing_ to me?"

"Well…do you _want_ me to propose to you?" Josh asked. "This could just be considered putting the option out there. I think I can do a better job when I officially pop the question if that's what you want."

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "I want you to propose to me. Please do it!"

"All right," Josh smiled and kissed her. "I'll do it." He paused. "But I think you and I should do one thing first."

"What?" Sarah questioned. "What's that?"

* * *

"You know, this is a very nice house," Matthew remarked as he and Christine came through the door. "Much neater than I expected. Very comfortable." He looked at Sarah. "And you and Ellie are obviously very comfortable here."

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "We are, Daddy."

"Good," Matthew nodded. "That's good." He sat down on the sofa and asked to see Ellie.

"I'll get her," Sarah said and ran to do just that. "You all talk."

With Sarah gone, Josh was left alone in the living room with her parents. They sat in awkward silence for a little bit before Matthew cleared his throat, ran his hand over the black fabric of the sofa, and then spoke. "Sarah said we're having steaks tonight," he remarked. "And you're making them. Do you do that often?"

"Yes, sir," Josh nodded and smiled. "I'm good with the grill."

"Excellent," Matthew smiled. "I like a good steak."

"Me too," Christine agreed. Then she prompted, "Did you just invite us over for dinner? Or are there any other reasons for this dinner?" She smiled, thinking she was sure she knew the answer.

After the food was out, Ellie was settled in her high chair, and everyone else was sitting around the table, Josh cleared his throat and caught Matthew's eye. "Before we eat, I have something to ask you, sir. Sarah and I have discussed this, but I wanted to bring you into this too: Is it…is it all right if I marry your daughter? If I propose marriage to her?"

"Yes," Matthew got out, but his reply was drowned out by Sarah and Christine's cheering.

"Yes," Matthew repeated when things had calmed down. He then leaned in close to Josh. "I think this calls for a drink, don't you? You want to help me get wine and glasses?"

"Sure," Josh nodded and stood up, following Matthew.

"Thank you for giving me your permission," Josh told him.

"Well, since you and Sarah seem to have already talked about it, I can't say 'No', can I?" Matthew pointed out. "But thanks for asking me."

"You're welcome," Josh smiled. "I just want Sarah to be happy."

"Yes," Matthew nodded as they headed out to Christine and Sarah, handing them glasses of wine and giving Ellie more apple juice as Sarah and Christine talked about rings. "I want that too."


	47. Josh and Sarah's Wedding

"What happens when you get engaged?" Sarah asked Josh after swallowing a bite of apple. "What is it that you do?"

"Well…I have to officially propose," Josh reminded her. "I haven't done that yet. At least not like how they do it in the movies."

"I don't need it to be done like it is in the movies," Sarah assured him. "I think we've gotten the point across."

"Do you want a ring?" Josh questioned.

"You know, I thought about that and…no," Sarah shook her head. "I don't think it's wise to wear some big shiny ring when I work at the gym all day. It'll get covered in grease or whatever and someone could want to steal it!" She paused. "But it would be nice to have _something_ that proved to the world I was engaged."

Josh smiled. "And I suppose there's one more person I have to propose to."

"Oh?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, following him into the kitchen, where he lifted Ellie out of her high chair and spoke to her with a smile on his lips.

"Ellie Bean, do you want me to marry your mommy and be your daddy?"

"Dada!" Ellie smiled and clapped. "Yes!"

"I think that answers that question," Josh told Sarah. "Now we just need to figure out how to tell other people."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" AnnaLynne gasped a week later when she came up to get her lunch salad and saw the shirt Sarah was wearing. It was a black t-shirt with one of the photos from her and Josh's engagement photoshoot (her mother took the pictures) printed on it, along with the announcement of their engagement. "You and Josh are engaged?"

"Yeah, we are," Sarah told her. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no…of course it's not a problem!" AnnaLynne replied. "As long as you're happy, that's good enough."

"Good, glad you think so," Sarah told her. "Want your usual salad?"

"Yes," AnnaLynne nodded. "I do, thanks."

So Sarah made her up a salad and an orange-pineapple smoothie and then sent her on her way, wondering who else would make comments on her shirt, and if they would be snarky.

The next people to comment on her shirt were her brother Patrick and his girlfriend, Addie.

"Congratulations!" Patrick told her as he and Addie came around to give her a hug. "We're so happy that you're engaged."

"Really?" Sarah questioned. "Even if the guy is a demon? Cause that seems to be a problem for some people."

"Well, as long as it's not a problem for you, why the hell should that matter?" Addie asked.

"That's a good point," Sarah said. "What have you two been up to lately?"

"We finally managed to get the last drug dealer to leave and not come back," Patrick told her. "That took longer than I would have wanted."

"I know," Addie shuddered. She had been helping him during the hours she wasn't helping Roxie and Vince at the club. "They were annoyingly persistent."

"Do you have to get back to the club now?" Patrick asked her. "Or can you stay a little longer?"

"No, I still have about half an hour before I have to go," Addie assured him, her blue eyes bright. "Wanna go take a dip in the pool?"

"Sure," Patrick nodded. "Why not?" But before he left, he asked Sarah one last question. "Have you told Malachai about this yet?"

"Of course not!" Sarah shook her head. "I haven't told him I'm engaged because I just know he's gonna throw a fit. I'll let him know afterward, once it's been done and he can't do anything about it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Patrick questioned.

"In general, no." Sarah shook her head. "I hate keeping things from Malachai, but for the sake of my sanity, and to have the relationship I want, I have to, at least for now. There's no way around it." She paused. "You won't tell him, will you?"

"No," Patrick shook his head. "We're just started to get through the issues that I have because of what happened between him and my mom. We're not close enough that I would sell you out like that." He paused. "Not that I would if we were."

"Thanks," Sarah smiled. "I appreciate it. Enjoy the pool." She paused. "Unless you want something to eat first."

"You shouldn't swim after you eat," Addie smiled. "But we'll probably pay you a visit after we're done."

"All right," Sarah called as they strode away with their arms around each other's waists. "I'll be here."

* * *

"So now that you and Josh are engaged, when's the wedding?" Jill asked when Sarah stopped by with Ellie. "Is it gonna be big and fancy? Do you need me to be a bridesmaid? I want to do something for you!"

"Well, we decided not to have a big wedding," Sarah said. "We're gonna just put on nice clothes and invite a handful of people, you and Christian included, and do our vows at the courthouse before going on a honeymoon weekend. No muss, no fuss, just the way we want it."

"Sounds nice," Jill smiled. "Would you like me and Christian to watch Ellie while you're gone?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, yeah," Sarah nodded. "Thanks, that would be nice."

"You're welcome," Jill told her sister. "It would be our pleasure, both to come to your wedding _and_ watch your daughter after. Just let us know when you decide on a date and then we'll be at the courthouse watch the two of you get married."

"I will," Sarah assured her. "I promise."

* * *

"Good morning!" Josh greeted Sarah the morning of their wedding. When she opened her eyes, she found him standing at her bedside with a plate containing an omelet and a fruit salad and some coffee. "I brought you some breakfast. Unless you're too nervous to eat. Then I'll eat it myself."

"Oh, no!" Sarah shook her head and patted her blanket covered lap. "Put it right here, please! I'm never not hungry! And thank you so much for making me food. You're so sweet!" He then moved aside and she saw a grinning Ellie in a while dress, holding a matching basket.

"All right," Josh told her. "Do what I taught you to do, okay?"

Ellie giggled and took a few steps toward the bed, then grabbed a handful of something and threw it at her mother.

"Are those rose petals?" Sarah asked, picking one of the fat red petals up off the comforter. "How sweet!"

"I thought she could be our flower girl," Josh said. "And that practice wouldn't hurt."

"What a cute idea!" Sarah smiled and then speared a piece of strawberry with her fork and handed it to her daughter. Then, she began cutting up her omelet. "This is definitely going to give me the energy I need to get through the day."

"Nervous?" Josh asked.

"No, not nervous," Sarah shook her head and then helped him give Ellie a boost onto the bed beside her. "Why would I be nervous when the whole point of the day is to marry the man I love?"

"Well, when you put it that way, you have no need to be," Josh put a hand under her chin and kissed her. "That's how I feel too."

After Sarah finished her omelet, she offered Ellie some more of the fruit on her plate, but Ellie shook her head.

"No," she chirped. "Tummy full."

"I already fed her," Josh assured Sarah. "So you eat all you want and if you can't clean your plate, I'll eat the rest."

"All right," Sarah nodded and took a swig of coffee. "Excellent."

* * *

"What do you think of this dress for the wedding?" Sarah asked as she appeared in the living room where Josh was waiting with Ellie on the sofa. "Good? Bad? Does it look weird? I'm afraid it might look weird."

Josh's jaw dropped a little as he got to his feet. He'd never seen her in a dress before, and she…she looked _fantastic._ It was a red halter dress that stopped at her knees and gave him a good view of her legs. Her hair was up and she wore a ruby necklace, but then he looked down at her feet and smiled. Instead of high heels, she was wearing a pair of red and sparkly tennis shoes.

"I love your shoes," he told her. "And your dress. You don't look weird. You look beautiful." He then pulled her close and whispered, "But I would be lying if I said I couldn't wait to get that dress off of you when we're alone tonight."

"Good," Sarah smiled. "I hoped you would say that." She gave him a quick kiss and as they pulled apart, Josh felt a tug on his pant leg.

He turned around and saw Ellie staring at him with her wide brown eyes. "Pitty?" She asked.

"What?" Josh questioned.

"I think she wants you to tell her she's pretty," Sarah interpreted.

"Oh, of course!" Josh smiled, giving the little girl a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're very pretty, Ellie!" He paused and went to get a camera. "In fact, I think we should have a picture of how good we all look before we leave for the courthouse."

"I agree," Sarah told him. "Let's do it!" She sat on the sofa with Ellie on her lap and when Josh returned, they all squeezed together and gave their biggest smiles.

"There we go!" Josh said once the camera had flashed. "I really do think that this will be beautiful. We should put it on the mantel."

"And we got it taken just in time, too," Sarah remarked. "It's time for us to leave for the courthouse." She paused and got a good look at him. He was wearing a simple black suit and a red tie that matched Sarah's dress. "You look great," she remarked and straightened his tie. "Sorry I didn't say anything sooner."

"I knew you would once you got a better look at me," he told her. "You don't think it looks odd? I wear suits about as often as you wear dresses."

"You look great," Sarah insisted. "I promise."

* * *

They got in the car and drove to the courthouse, where they met all their guests: Jill and Christian, Selina and Amelia, Rodan and Katherine, and Matthew and Christine, who shouted 'Surprise!' and showered them with hugs. Christine handed her daughter a bouquet of white roses and then they all stood waiting as Sarah and Josh filled out the right forms and waited for their number to be called.

Thankfully, the wait wasn't long, and when they got to the judge, Sarah told him that they had one request before the vows were said.

"We have a flower girl," she said. "So…I want to do the whole 'going down the aisle' thing. Is that okay?"

"Sure," the judge nodded. "That's fine with me."

So everyone in the room sang 'Here Comes the Bride' while Ellie went down the aisle tossing rose petals and then, holding onto Matthew's arm, Sarah made her way down the aisle, pausing next to Josh in front of the judge, and holding Ellie's hand in one of hers and Josh's hand in her other. "All right," she smiled at the judge. "I think we're ready."

"Do you have vows of your own, or would you like for them to be traditional?" He questioned.

"Let's go with traditional," Sarah said. "And make it quick: Ellie's got kind of a short attention span before she starts getting antsy."

"All right," the judge nodded. "Do you, Sarah, take Josh to be your lawfully wedded husband as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Sarah smiled and gave Josh's hand a squeeze.

"And do you, Josh, take Sarah to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Oh, I definitely do," Josh smiled.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," the judge finished. "You may kiss the bride."

They kissed and everyone cheered, then they finished up the odds and ends for the ceremony and made their way out of the courthouse as everyone followed them to their car. Josh got Ellie inside, but before she got in too, Sarah took Selina's hand and they walked a ways away from the car.

"Thanks for coming," she said. "And thanks for not thinking I'm crazy. I thought for sure that one person would think I was moving too fast."

"Well, it wouldn't be me," Selina assured her. "I'm so happy for you! And if even Dad is on board with all this, you're good. I hope you two have a long and happy life together," she gave Sarah a hug. "Congratulations. Enjoy your honeymoon."

"Thanks," Sarah smiled at her sister. "I will."

They made their way back to the waiting group and got into the car to drive to Christian and Jill's to drop off Ellie, and then head off to the campground for their long honeymoon weekend.

* * *

To Sarah's surprise, she and Josh were the only ones that had reservations at the campground that weekend. "Well, isn't that weird?" she remarked to Josh as they worked to set up their tent and get out their sleeping bags and food. "You would think that there would be at least _one_ other couple here."

"Are you upset about the peace and quiet we're getting?" Josh asked.

"Oh, no!" Sarah shook her head. "Of course not. I think it's wonderful! Just a little unexpected."

After they'd gotten all situated and stepped out of the tent to walk around, Josh told her, "I know we did traditional vows, but you want to know what I would have said if I wasn't so shy about making speeches in front of other people? It's not a long talk."

"Sure," Sarah smiled. "I would love to hear what you would have said."

Josh kissed her hand and smiled before clearing his throat. "I think I was in love with you from the moment I set eyes on you," he told her. "At first it was just physical: you're beautiful and I saw you in those low cut blouses and it drove me crazy! Then, you told me that you had a daughter to look after and you couldn't afford to get fired from your job, and I think…I think that's when my feelings went from lust to actual love, even though I didn't understand them at first, because you were brave and kind, and loving, and hardworking. I thought my feelings were silly, and an annoyance, and the other demons…they made fun of me for how I felt, which is why I went along with that stupid kidnapping. Then my brain cleared, and the guilt came back. I knew that if I went through with it, you would be mad at me, and never want to talk to me again, I couldn't bear that, which is why I let you go and asked you out. And I was really pleased you said 'Yes'. That was the best day of my life until today. It really was. I love you, Sarah. And Ellie too. And I'm glad to be married to you." His eyes never strayed from her face, and his voice was so sincere that by the time he finished talking, she was in tears.

"I-I have something I want to say to you, too," she got out. "It…it's not as eloquent as what you just said, but…you've been a blessing to have in my life, too. Raising Ellie has been such a big part of everything I do, and while I've never been too proud to ask for help when I need it, before I met you, accepting it from people still made me feel like I was putting a burden on their shoulders, which is why I spent every minute with Ellie that I could and went to bed way too late totally exhausted most nights.

"But then I met you, and you just…you loved her from the start. You loved me, and you loved her, and you didn't act like she was a burden. You never made me feel like asking you for help with my daughter was something I should feel guilty about. You made me feel like it was okay for me to have a life of my own. And that…when I realized that, I knew I'd never be able to let you go. That if I let you slip through my fingers, it would be the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you for being my partner in everything that I do so I can be the person I've always wanted to be." After she finished, they stood and stared at one another in silence, then he pulled her close and they ran back the tent, tied it shut, ripped off each other's clothes and buried themselves in Josh's extra big blue sleeping bag.

"You know, I don't even know why we brought two," She remarked as he ran his hands over her body and nibbled on her earlobe before kissing her several times in succession and buried himself inside her. "We fit in here just fine."

"Yeah," Josh agreed. "And we'll be warmer this way, too." He paused and looked down into her eyes. "Just to warn you, though, being in direct contact with moonlight will make my demon face show up.

"Really?" Sarah smiled and reached up to play with his hair. "Thanks for telling me I get to see that handsome face again. Looking forward to it."

"Glad to hear," Josh smiled, kissing her shoulder and playing with her hair. "I didn't want you to be scared."

"Of you?" Sarah shook her head. "I don't think that could ever happen."

* * *

They passed the rest of the weekend basking in the tranquility of the campground, but as they were packing up their things to head back, Sarah got a phone call from a very panicked Jill.

"Please tell me you're on your way home!" She urged in a breathless voice.

"We are, but…Jill has something happened? She asked. "What is it?" With a swipe of her hand, she had all the stuff in the car, and then zapped Josh, herself, and the car back to Jill and Christian's, where Jill stood, shaking and sniffling in front of the garage. "You can tell me," she insisted as she put her arms around her sister. "Does it have to do with Ellie?"

"Yes," Jill nodded. "Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry. When you were gone, Junior showed up here with a bunch of guys and they took Ellie. We tried to stop them, but there were just too many. They overpowered us. I've tried to focus my mind and find out where she is, but…"

"Don't worry," Josh told her. "You did all you could. This isn't your fault."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "It's Junior's. And we're gonna find Ellie and get her back, no matter how many people I have to kill to make it happen."

"Yes," Josh agreed, showing his demon face. "Someone is going to pay for this, and pay dearly."


	48. Doing The Right Thing The Wrong Way

As Christian comforted Jill, who was still sobbing in shame, Sarah asked him, "Did you see which way the people went who took Ellie? Did they say anything about where they were going?"

"No, I don't know," Christian replied. "You'll just have to guess. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Sarah sighed. "If it's Junior, I have a couple of ideas where he might have run off to."

"Do you need help searching?" Jill questioned. "We owe you that much at least."

"All right," Sarah agreed. "If you want to come, be my guest. Extra hands could be a good thing."

So the four of them got in the car and drove away from the house.

"All right," Josh said. "Where are we going?"

"Well, I would like to think that Sean wouldn't be stupid enough to take her to his parents' house cause that's the most obvious place he could go, but we can start there," Sarah suggested.

"All right," Josh agreed. "Where do his parents live?"

* * *

"Sarah!" Mary cried when she saw her at the door and realized she was very angry. "What's the matter? Is everything okay?"

"Apparently, your son showed up at Ellie's babysitter's house and kidnapped her while Josh and I were on our honeymoon," Sarah explained and strode inside, casting a hunted look around the living room. "Is he here? I'd like to have a word with him."

"No, he's not, sorry," Mary shook her head. "And I'm so sorry he took Ellie."

"Thanks," Sarah told her. "Do you have any other ideas about where he might have taken her? Should I check with Aunt Eva?"

"It probably wouldn't hurt," Mary nodded. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Thank you, Mary," Sarah said.

"You're welcome," Mary replied and gave Sarah a hug. "And I really _am_ sorry about Sean. I have no idea what's been going through his head lately."

"It's all right," Sarah assured her. "It's not your fault, Mary. And would you tell Liam I said 'Hello'?"

"Sure I will," Mary nodded. "Good luck!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at his Uncle Sean and Aunt Eva's, Junior's goons were quickly discovering that keeping track of Ellie was going to be tougher than they thought. She sensed they were bad men, so she bit every bit of skin she could get near her mouth, and even turned into a giant fireball. This caused her father's goons to be immensely frustrated, to the point where one of them was about to raise a hand to her.

"Don't you dare!" Junior stopped him, his voice ringing out sharply. "We can't hurt or scare her. She has to be comfortable with us. We're the good guys, remember?"

"Sorry, boss," the man apologized. "But she…she bit me and gave me a third degree burn!"

"You probably deserved it," Junior replied. "Take your money and leave. I don't have any more use for you."

They did just as Eva came in to join him. "I can't believe you kidnapped your daughter," she said and picked up Ellie, who was beginning to calm down. "Sarah's not going to be happy about this, you know."

"Of course I do, I'm not an idiot," Junior told her. "But it was absolutely necessary. If Sarah wants to be with a demon, that's her own business, but I don't want Ellie exposed to it."

"Actually, from what her mother's told me, Ellie seems real happy with Sarah and Josh, and I think you're just being spiteful," Eva told him. "When Sarah gets here, you should give Ellie back to her."

"Sarah will get her back over my dead body," Junior hissed.

"Oh, I think that will come to pass in less time than you think," Eva said. "Cause I know they say a woman scorned is dangerous, but I think a woman whose baby is in danger is even worse." She smirked. "You should have at least asked her before you took Ellie."

"She would have said 'No'," Junior said. "And that's why I didn't."

"Well, gee," Eva remarked sarcastically as she shook out her blonde hair. "The trust level between you two is just so touching."

"Now that was just uncalled for," Junior replied and reached for Ellie, but she crawled away and decided to be with Eva instead.

"Doesn't seem like she likes you very much," Eva remarked.

"Oh, I bet it's cause Sarah turned her against me," Junior replied. When he tried to grab her out of Eva's grip, she bit him and spoke.

"Fuck you," she said, screwing up her face in the best impersonation of her angry mother that she could muster."

"Well, that's friendly," Junior remarked. "I was just trying to be nice."

"You have to remember that you're a complete stranger to her," Eva reminded him. "You have to find a way to get her to trust you, and let me just say that kidnapping her was not a good way to build your relationship."

"I'm only doing what's best for her," Junior told her. "I screwed up before, but I'm trying to make amends, okay?" He paused. "How would you suggest I build trust?" Eva opened her mouth and he added, "Short of giving her back to her mother."

"Well, at least let her see you with Sarah," Eva said. "Do you have any pictures or anything of you and her together?"

"Of course I do!" Junior replied. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Yes, but I hope not about that," Eva remarked. "Find those pictures and show them to her and maybe, once she sees you in the same space as her mother, she might like you."

"No," Ellie shook her head. "No."

Junior sighed and gave Ellie to Eva while he went to get the pictures from his parents' house. But when he returned, he found Ellie sitting on her mother's lap with Josh standing behind both of them, and the living room a mess, with broken windows and furniture overturned. Only Sarah and Josh had come in to carry out the rescue; Jill and Christian had opted to stay in the car unless they were called for backup.

"What the hell happened here?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, you can imagine I wasn't too happy when I got here," Sarah told him. "And this is the result of all that."

Junior scoffed. "There goes any chance of talking about this like adults, then," he remarked.

"There's nothing to talk about," Sarah said. "You kidnapped your daughter and I'm taking her back."

"Yeah, and if you try and stop her, you'll have to deal with me," Josh added. "So don't give us any trouble."

"Oh, look, your demon lover is going to pummel me," Junior scoffed.

"If you think he won't do it, he will," Sarah said. "And slowly and painfully too, since he loves Ellie more than _you_ ever did. When she first called him 'Daddy', I told her not to because I wanted to give you a chance to be in her life, but then you called and were such an asshat that I changed my mind. This doesn't help your case either."

"Can I hurt him just a little?" Josh asked. He'd already turned into a demon again. "Please?"

"Let him explain why the hell he would do something like this and _then_ you can hurt him," Sarah told Josh, who reluctantly took a few steps back to give Junior some breathing room.

"I kidnapped her because I'm scared as hell of Ellie growing up around _that_ ," he pointed at Josh. "I kidnapped her because now that I'm back, I really _do_ want to have some sort of relationship with her, but thought if I asked you first, you wouldn't let me."

"You don't know that," Sarah said. "If you had taken time to explain yourself and say that I could be in the room when you and Ellie saw each other, I might have agreed to it. Why else did you come back?"

"I came back for us," Sean continued. "I want us to start over again."

"Well, it's a bit late for that," Sarah said. "Josh and I are married now."

"But even if we weren't," Josh added, grabbing Junior by the lapels of his shirt and pulling him up to his toes while baring his teeth, his face so close to Junior's that Junior could smell his sour breath, "there's not a chance she'd go back to you after you treated her so badly."

"I don't know if I accept that coming from your foul mouth," Junior spat. "I'd rather hear it from her. She can speak for herself."

"He's right in this case," Sarah said. "Even if you'd been sensible and we were able to work on some sort of custody arrangement, us getting together again is _not_ in the cards. That part of our lives ended the second you chose Europe over Ellie and me. I don't know why that's hard for you to understand."

"So…even if you and I aren't gonna be together…I still get a chance to bond with Ellie?" Junior clarified. "Is that in the cards?"

"Possibly," Sarah sighed. "But I'm not sure yet."

"Why not?" Sean yelled. "What is so hard? What do you still have to decide?"

"You won't get to bond with Ellie until you accept that I am married to a demon, Ellie likes him, and that's not gonna change. Josh is always gonna be part of my life and Ellie's. If I let you bond with her now, you'll probably just try and kidnap her again and convince some court that I'm a horrible parent when she's perfectly happy where she is. Do you think you can make that sort of mental adjustment?"

"I might be able to," Sean said. "But I don't know if Malachai will. You know, he was the one that called John and got my phone number and got me to come over here. I'm not the only one you should be mad at."

Sarah sighed. "I know I shouldn't be surprised that Malachai had some part in this plan, but…I am. I knew he was anti-demon, but apparently, it goes much deeper than I thought. I'm going to have to deal with that." Then her eyes flickered down to the box he held. "What's in there?" She asked.

"Oh, just pictures of you and me from when we were together," Junior said. "Eva suggested I show them to Ellie as a way to gain her trust." He paused. "But I guess now that you're here, I don't need to use them."

Josh burst out laughing. "You really think she's gonna help Ellie trust you after what you've done?" He asked. "You're clearly dreaming!" He was still a demon and nowhere close to being calm enough to regain his human appearance.

"Hey!" Sarah told him. "I might…eventually. Not now, but at some point in the future."

"Why?" Josh questioned. "Why would you do that? Is it cause of what he says? Cause I'm a demon and you think I'll be a bad influence?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "Of course not! Where's your head, Josh? I just…I think that in time, all three of us could be part of Ellie's life if we can learn to get along, even if it's just for Ellie's sake, okay? And that includes not speaking ill of each other to her."

"How long do you think it will be until we reach that point?" Junior questioned.

"I don't know, and don't you dare rush me," Sarah warned. "Or you won't see her at all."

"All right, all right," Junior nodded. "And I'm…I'm sorry about this."

"You should be!" Sarah snapped. "You scared me out of my mind! I thought that when I found Ellie she would be hurt or dead, or…I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but it was a _very_ bad choice!"

"I was thinking that I want to get to know my daughter," Junior said. His voice was calm and quiet and he locked eyes with Sarah without blinking. " _That's_ what I was thinking."

"Come near her again without Sarah's express permission and you will regret it," Josh told him.

"I get it," Junior spat, and then turned to Sarah. "Wanna tell your attack dog to back off?"

"It's okay, Josh," Sarah told him. "I can handle this. Why don't you go wait in the car with Christian and Jill? I can finish up here."

"Are you sure?" Josh questioned. "Can I take Ellie with me?"

"All right," Sarah sighed and handed her over. "Go ahead." When they were gone, Sarah said to Junior, "Are you really sorry for what you did?"

"Yes," Junior nodded. "I won't do anything like this again, I promise." He paused. "Does Ellie really like that guy?"

"Yes, she does," Sarah nodded. "And I do too. He's been really good to me."

There was a silence and then Junior said, "Good. I'm happy for you. Sad that you couldn't have waited for me, but…"

"I'm going," Sarah snapped, rising to her feet. "Goodbye, Sean."

"Bye," Junior replied as Sarah strode out the door and slammed it behind her.


	49. Making Friends With The Enemy

"Thanks for helping me get Ellie," Sarah kissed Josh's cheek as they got ready for bed that night. "I don't think I would have been as successful without your help."

"Yes, it went marvelously," Josh agreed and took his shirt off. "Up until you foolishly agreed to let that man have time with Ellie. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that that would be the best way to get Sean off our backs!" Sarah exclaimed. "If I hadn't let him see her, he would have just kept badgering us until I did. It's easier this way." She sighed. "What's your problem with that? Are you gonna tell me that I'm a bad mother now?"

"No!" Josh replied. "You're the parent. You do what's best. And if you think that's what's best…to say anything else isn't my business."

Sarah sighed, pushed some of his hair out of his eyes and put her arms around him. "I love you," she told him. "And I'm never getting back together with Junior. Not ever."

"Oh, it's not you I'm worried about," Josh told her. "What about Ellie? What if she spends time with him and doesn't like me anymore? What if she spends time with him and something goes wrong and she gets hurt?"

"Someone will be with him when he's visiting her," Sarah promised. "Just until we can be sure he knows what he's doing."

"No," Josh shook his head. "There will _always_ be someone there to watch him when he's with Ellie. I don't trust him at all."

"Of course you don't," Sarah agreed. "That's natural."

"And you have no plans to alleviate my worries any time in the near future?" Josh asked.

"If there's any way besides taking back what I told Junior, yes, I'd be glad to alleviate your worries, but if that's the only way…I don't see that happening," Sarah told him. "I'm sorry. But I really think you're worrying for nothing."

"We'll see about that," Josh huffed.

* * *

The next few days were difficult, as Josh refused to take his eyes off Ellie, even for a moment. Even at night, he wanted to sleep in her room instead of with Sarah.

"He's not going to come and take her in the middle of the night," Sarah told Josh warily for what seemed like the millionth time as he headed to Ellie's bedroom for the fifth night in a row. "I've told you before that his visits with her are going to be during the day and with supervision."

"He kidnapped her, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm not so quick to put my faith in him," Josh replied. "And on that note, why is he being rewarded for what he did? Usually when a child gets kidnapped, the person who did it gets put in jail or something, not given continued access!"

"You kidnapped Ellie too," Sarah pointed out. "And I still let you near her. So if that's the angle you're going with to prove that you're a better man than Junior, I'd pick something else. There are lots of other options."

 _That_ shut Josh up. He sneered at her, grabbed his extra pillow, and headed for Ellie's room, slamming the door behind him as Sarah sighed, went to turn off the light, and tucked herself in to go to sleep.

* * *

"What do you think I did wrong?" Sarah asked her sister Leslie as they watched Ellie try and interact with Sam Jr. "I mean, should I _not_ have let Sean have time with Ellie? Am I letting him off too easy after all he's done like Josh says?" She would have gone to Christian and Jill, but since Christian was Josh's brother, she feared that his advice wouldn't be unbiased. Leslie wasn't related to Josh at all, so she figured she could be counted on to give her some good, impartial answers, _and_ give Ellie a chance to work on her socialization at the same time.

"Well, do _you_ think you let him off too easily?" Leslie questioned. "I mean, you're the one he wronged."

"No," Sarah shook her head. "What I've always wanted was for him to come back and take some responsibility for his daughter, and he said that's what he came back for, so I'm choosing to believe him. I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Then there you go," Leslie shrugged. "That's as good of an answer as anything. Josh is probably saying what he's saying because he feels hurt."

"Yeah, you're right," Sarah agreed. "I really should talk to him about that." She paused then to chide Ellie, who was standing over a screeching Sam, Jr. "Sweetie, you shouldn't pull Sammy's hair, okay? That's painful. You have to be nice and gentle with him."

"Okay," Ellie nodded, loosening her grip on Sammy's hair and patting his head gently. "Sorry." She gave him a kiss and then walked over to sit in her mother's lap.

"Good," Sarah praised. "It's good you're being nice." She then eyed Leslie, her cheeks pink. "Sorry about that."

"He doesn't seem to have been hurt much," Leslie assured her sister. "She's little, too. She's learning."

"Yeah," Sarah hugged her daughter. "She is."

"Do you want me and Sam to keep her tonight so you and Josh can talk about things?" Leslie offered. "Cause based on what you said, if you keep her around, you won't be able to get a word in. How in the world did you convince him to let you bring her here?"

"I didn't convince him of anything," Sarah said firmly. "I wanted to bring her, so I brought her. I don't need his permission for everything."

"Oh, I'm not saying you do," Leslie assured her quickly. "Just that…I hope things can get worked out between the two of you."

"Thanks," Sarah's frown relaxed. "I think we'll be able to easily enough. And thanks for the offer to watch Ellie while we do it."

"You're welcome," Leslie said, absent-mindedly ruffling her son's hair like she always saw Sam do. "I'm glad to do it. Good luck."

* * *

"Before you ask," Sarah said, staving off the question that she knew was on Josh's lips the next time they saw each other, "Ellie isn't with Sean. She's with my sister Leslie because you and I need to talk and we can't do that if she's here."

"All right," Josh agreed and sat down. "Let's talk. Although you already know what I'm going to say and you don't seem to be changing your mind either, so we're at an impasse."

"You told me earlier that you were worried Ellie would forget you if she spent time with Sean," Sarah reminded him. "What makes you think that?"

Josh thought he would be ready and able to answer that question, but then realized before it came out of his mouth that his answer sounded silly. That he didn't really _have_ an answer.

"She's not going to forget you, I promise," Sarah reached out and took his hand. "And if you're worried that she'll love Junior more than you, that won't happen either. She barely knows him now and she's always gonna know you better. She calls you daddy for crying out loud. And that means something, right?"

"Yeah, it does," Josh nodded and took her into his arms. "I guess you think I'm being pretty silly, huh?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "If it's an actual worry that you have, of course it's not silly. I get the sense that you didn't have a reliable source of affection growing up, did you?"

"No," Josh sighed. "You and Ellie…you're the first ones."

"Oh, you poor guy," Sarah put her arms around him and kissed him. Then she pulled away for a second as she and Josh stared into each other's eyes. Then they were kissing again, deeper, this time, more wild, her fingers in his hair, his hands roaming all over her body and tugging at her shirt. He picked her up, her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her to their bedroom. They stripped down to their underwear then paused to take a breath before running to the bed and climbing in it.

Sarah brought Josh's head down to kiss him one more time before she wiggled out of her panties and he kissed her knees and feet before parting her legs and kissing a trail up her inner thighs, making her squirm with anticipation. She had no doubt where he was headed next.

It didn't take long for him to start pleasuring her with his tongue, slowly, surely, over and over again.

She shut her eyes and gasped. She'd really missed this. As she climaxed, Josh's name escaping in a cry from her lips, she gripped the edge of the mattress to keep herself from falling off. And it didn't surprise her at all when her eyes opened afterward and she saw a demon looking back at her.

"Hello," she smiled, sitting up and putting a hand on either side of his face again. "I missed that. It's been a while."

"Yeah," Josh replied in that guttural voice. "It has. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Sarah told him and put her arms around him as they fell back onto the mattress and he buried himself inside her over and over again. "We're back together now. I love you, Josh."

He paused and searched her face before smiling his normal human smile. "I love you too," he assured her.

* * *

"So what's been going on with you lately?" Junior's grandmother asked his father Liam as he sat between her and Malachai at her kitchen table. "Anything interesting?"

"Well, Junior's back from Europe," Liam replied. "And he kidnapped Ellie because he knew that if he told Sarah he wanted to bond with her, that she would say 'No'. Or at least that's what he thought. And Mary only came to know about it when Sarah and her new husband came looking for her."

"New husband?" Malachai repeated, his eyes wide with shock. "When did she get married? What's her husband like? She never told _me_ she was getting married."

"Well, that's because her new husband is a demon, I think," Liam replied. "At least that's what Mary thought. No wonder Sarah didn't tell you her good news, what with you being so anti-demon at the moment and everything."

"My daughter married a _demon_?" Malachai cried and rose to his feet. "Has she lost her mind?"

"Malachai calm down," Helene urged and glared at her son. It was hard to calm him down when he got agitated like this. "It might not be that bad. You keep getting upset about demons like this and you'll end up with high blood pressure like my mother. Don't you remember that the blue demon attacks have put her in the hospital? And Selina marrying Dorian nearly killed her."

"You see?" Malachai said. "This is why demons are bad. And why I'm so glad I got Junior to come back here."

"I have a feeling this might come back and bite you in the ass," Helene said. "Think about how Sarah's lived her life: Matthew taught her self-defense, and after Junior left for Europe, she basically did everything by herself. She doesn't need him to come back and protect her from a guy she _wanted_ to marry."

"How can you be talking like this?" Malachai cried. "How can you be taking her side? Or the demon's side?"

"Because I was in Sarah's place once," Helene reminded him. "My father didn't really want me marrying Adrian in the first place. He thought he was unpredictable and dangerous and that I should have found a nice warlock instead. Or at least a human. _Definitely_ not a vampire-werewolf hybrid."

"And how was he wrong?" Malachai asked. "You and Adrian broke up in the end. He left you to raise Lenora by yourself! _And_ deprived you of raising Felicity. That couldn't have been good for your daughters."

"And Junior left Sarah to raise Ellie by _herself_ ," Helene said. "If you're trying to make comparisons between my life and Sarah's to make Josh look bad, you're not helping. Junior is Adrian in this scenario. And Josh is you. No one really wanted me to marry you, either."

"Yeah, why was that?" Malachai huffed. "I'm wonderful."

"And so is Josh, at least to Sarah," Helene returned primly. "If you want to hate him, fine. Just keep your mouth shut about it cause if you try and complain, you're going to lose every time." She then looked up at Liam. "Sorry about that," she said. "Sorry you have to sit here and listen to me badmouth your dad."

"Oh, you're not saying anything that isn't true," Liam reminded her, giving her a smile that was so much like Adrian's. "And you and Dad get along better now than you ever did when you were married, right?"

"Yeah," Helene nodded. "I guess you could say that." She watched Malachai get up and make his way to the phone, but she used her magic to make it disappear as he reached it. "You're not gonna call Sarah to yell at her about this," she said firmly. "Let her be."

They stared each other down while Liam looked back and forth between them with interest to see who would finally give in, not surprised when Malachai said, "You know what? I'm gonna go see Kai and Victoria. Don't wait dinner cause I might not be back."

"All right," Helene called after him. "Have fun!"

"How do you do it?" Liam asked Helene in amazement. "How do you always make people back down? I don't think I've ever seen you lose an argument in my life!"

"Well, that's because I pick all the right ones," Helene smiled mischievously. "Want a drink?"

"Sure," Liam nodded. "I'll have one. Thanks."

* * *

"Well, you look like hell," Kai remarked to his uncle as Malachai made his way through the door of his nephew's home. "What happened?"

"I found out my daughter Sarah is married to a demon," Malachai spat. "Get me a drink, would you?"

"How many will you have had if I do?" Kai questioned.

"I thought you were the one who didn't chide me about stuff like that," Malachai remarked.

"I'm not chiding you," Kai assued him. "I'm just asking cause I'm curious."

"I think this will be…" Malachai burped, his dark eyes unfocused. "I think it will be six. Is that a problem?"

"No," Kai shook his head. "But Victoria might insist on driving you home after."

"Yeah, sure," Malachai nodded. "Whatever. I want my drink!"

It was while he was working on it that the door opened and voices called out.

"Dad? Mom? We're visiting!"

"Oh, what do you know, Vicky?" Kai called. "Finn and Molly still remember that we live here. How nice!"

"Be careful about telling Finn that a girl he used to like is siding with the enemy," Malachai warned, slurring his words. "It might upset him. And we don't want that."

"Who's siding with what enemy?" Finn questioned, his dark eyebrows knitted, his darker eyes curious. "Uncle Malachai, what are you talking about?"

"Sarah's married to a demon now," Malachai informed Finn, who had been in love with Sarah once upon a time. "Isn't that horrible?"

"Well, is she happy?" Finn questioned. "If she's happy, that's all that matters to me. And if anything goes wrong, I know she can take care of herself. Do you not think so?"

"No, he doesn't," Molly said, her eyes bright and devious. "That's why he had John give him Junior's number, so he could tell him to get over here from Europe and get in the way of everything."

"How in the hell do you know that?" Malachai asked, knocking down the drink that Kai had just sat in front of him on a black tray table. "Shit," he remarked, looking down. "I didn't mean to spill it." He used his magic to fill the cup again and took a long swig. "That's better," he smiled. "I like that." Then he narrowed his eyes at Molly. "How do you know this?"

"I spend time with John, remember?" Molly reminded him. "I learn things. He's been especially glad to see me lately, what with Ingrid dating a demon too. They seem to be everywhere now."

"Great," Malachai huffed. "Just fucking wonderful."

"You know what they say," Finn told him. "If you can't beat them, join them. Maybe you could meet some nice demons if you tried."

"Oh, bite your tongue," Malachai scoffed. "That's not going to happen." He looked at Kai. "Can you believe your son? Can you believe what he's saying?" He paused. "Can't you leave now? Doesn't Daisy need you for something?"

"No," Finn grinned. "She's visiting her sister. I won't see her until tomorrow. I can be here all day."

"I don't know," Kai shrugged, answering his uncle's question. "Lydia's boyfriend is a demon and they seem happy. I mean, sometimes he hogs the food when he comes over, but other than that…."

"What is _wrong_ with you people?" Malachai shouted, causing the windows to break with the force of his magic. "Has the whole world gone _crazy_?" He just looked around the room, shook his head, and strode out without another word.

"Sorry I didn't come out and say 'Hello' to Malachai," Victoria apologized, the slam of the door bringing her out into the living room, her dark eyes concerned. "Has he gone already? What was that crash I heard?

"Yes," Molly nodded. "The thought of his family being infested with demons, even if they're perfectly _nice_ demons, has upset him. He broke a window on his way out."

"Oh, dear," Victoria sighed. "It's a good thing that Malachai seems to be the only one to feel that way. I just got off the phone with Grandpa Kol and he said that he and Grandma Margot had a lovely evening out with Uncle Klaus and his demon girlfriend AnnaLynne. So that was good to hear."

"Poor Uncle Malachai," Kai mused. "What are we going to do with him?"

"I don't know," Victoria shrugged. "But we better think of something quick for his own good."

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "Any ideas?"


	50. Forever Hold Your Peace

While her sister worked through trouble with Junior, Selina was dealing with the ongoing trouble regarding demon world management. But she thought that she'd finally found a way to fix it.

"I'm sorry if this is a bad time to ask you what I'm about to ask you, but do you think we'd have a stronger grip on the hearts of the populace if we had a big formal wedding?" She questioned Dorian. "You know, get our faces out into the public?" She paused. "You wouldn't have to do any of the planning if you didn't want to. I know you have battle plans to plan or whatever."

Dorian paused. "You know, that might not be a bad idea. Not that I think we'll ever be lacking support, but…it never hurts to always be on people's minds. And I always forget that we haven't had our big wedding." He paused, putting a hand on either side of Selina's face. "But you haven't forgotten, have you? It's something you've just been _dying_ to do?"

"Kind of," Selina nodded. "And it's funny cause that's not even my usual attitude. Big to-dos are more my mother's thing."

"Is she good?" Dorian questioned. "Does she know a thing or two about throwing a memorable soiree?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "And once I tell her, she'll probably have it thrown together in two seconds." She paused. "And do you want me to call a press conference and get the news out to the papers?"

"Sure," Dorian nodded and kissed her. "Perfect."

"All right," Selina nodded. "I'll do it after school and my stop at the hospital to visit the children."

"Good," Dorian smiled. "You know, I hadn't thought much about this, but now that we're finally doing it, I'm excited."

"Me too!" Selina agreed. "I can't wait to tell Jeannette. I think she and Jim are almost more eager for the ceremony than we are."

"Yeah, no kidding," Dorian nodded. "Not a day goes by when Jim doesn't ask 'When are you going to marry her already?'" He chuckled. "It might be just as much about the day off that comes with the wedding, but I also think he's happy for us."

"Of course," Selina nodded. "That's just the way those two are." She then heard the clock in the living room chime the hour and went to get her purse and coat. "I better get on my way. The school can't run itself."

"And even if it could, it would be wonderful for you to be there anyway," Dorian smiled, helping her on with her coat, holding her close, and giving her a kiss. "Even if it means I have to miss you during the day."

"Well, you can always stop by during my lunch hour," Selina smiled. "Please don't forget about that."

"I won't," Dorian swore. "Believe me. See you tonight!"

"See you," Selina replied. "I can't wait to find out people's reactions when the news of what we're going to do gets on the television. I hope they love it. I know I will."

* * *

"Oh, shit!" Eric cried as he watched reports of Selina and Dorian's upcoming wedding flash all over the TV. "Oh, shit, not this! Not now! Why?"

"What's going on?" Sophia questioned. "What's the matter?"

"Look at that!" Eric cried, gesturing wildly at the television. "You see what that says?"

"Yeah!" Sophia smiled. "Your dad and Selina are getting married! Isn't that nice?"

"No, it's not nice!" Eric said bitingly.

"Why isn't it nice?" Sophia wanted to know, hands on hips. "I thought you liked her."

"Oh, I do!" Eric nodded. "But you remember my mother the whack job? If she finds out about this, _and she will_ , it is going to piss her off and I'm gonna have to deal with it! Why can't Dad think of _me_ when he does stuff like this? He could have at least warned me before the announcement went on the television." He headed toward the door. "I have to talk to him. I have to convince him to stop all this."

"Will it really be that bad?" Sophia questioned. "It can't be that bad."

"Yes, it can," Eric nodded. "Clearly you've never met my mother." He then headed out to talk to his father.

"Don't tell me he's too busy, Jim," he said to his father's bodyguard. "I know he's busy, but what I need to warn him about is important. It has to do with my mother. Any minute now, she'll see those spots on TV about the wedding and all hell will break loose! He needs to be warned! We need to make a plan!"

Jim had been with Dorian long enough that he'd heard a great deal about Eric's mother, Sybil, and the problems that she was capable of causing, so he didn't say anything else, just gestured for Eric to go and do what he needed to do. He was sure that once Eric got everything out, Dorian would thank him.

Eric knocked on the door and his father, without looking up from his desk where he was poring over blue prints and mail, said, "Can you come back later, please? I'm a little busy at the moment. I swear, I told Jim-"

"It's about Mom," Eric interrupted. "I saw the announcement of your and Selina's wedding on the television, which means that at any time, she could see it too. And you know that will bring her here. You know she's gonna cause trouble. I just wanted to warn you ahead of time so you could start thinking up a battle plan."

"Thank you!" Dorian replied, running around the desk and actually hugging his son. "I am so grateful. And thank you for your persistence, and not leaving when I asked you to. Other people might have."

"Oh, but I'm your son, remember?" Eric smiled, his dark eyes bright. "I'm not 'other people'."

"Yes, and when it comes to your mother, thank goodness for that." He paused. "Any ideas off the top of your head for what to do about your mother?"

"Well, I think you should definitely have AnnaLynne and Klaus guarding everything and keeping an eye out," Eric suggested. "I mean, since they're gonna be guests, some people might consider that bad form, but…this is an emergency, so rules against making your guests work at your wedding don't apply."

"Yeah," Dorian nodded. He'd probably be having nightmares about what Sibyl was going to do when she made her way to wherever it was that they would hold the wedding. It wouldn't be good."

Eric paused. "You do agree with me that she's gonna show up at the wedding, right? Not any other time?"

"Oh, of course," Dorian nodded. "You know she loves spectacle, and what could be a bigger spectacle than a wedding?" He paused. "Now, has she actually called you and threatened to ruin things yet?"

"No," Eric shook his head. "But I know that it's only a matter of time."

"All right," Dorian said. "When she _does_ call you, whenever it is, day or night, let me know as soon as she hangs up, all right? Don't delay one second."

"I won't," Eric promised. "The second she gets out all her feelings, I swear I'll call you after and get you all the details."

His worry was proven justified when Ben brought Eric the phone that night. "It's your mother," he said. "And she sounds very pissed off."

"Wonderful," Eric grumbled. "I mean, I knew this was coming, but I hoped it wouldn't."

"Eric?" She screeched before he could even put the phone to his ear. "What are you saying? Why won't you talk to me? Have you seen the news?"

"Yes," Eric replied, trying to be patient. "I'm sorry, Mother. I _have_ been watching the news. If you're calling because you have feelings about Dad remarrying, please share them. Unburden yourself."

"Oh, you bet I will!" His mother yelled. Her name was Sybil Vane, appropriately enough, and though things had been over between her and Dorian for years, she hadn't exactly been gracious about letting him go. "How can you father be remarrying? Has he and that woman he's marrying had any children? They better not be thinking of putting them in front of you in the line of succession if they do!"

"Why not?" Eric wanted to know. "I've already told Dad that he could do whatever he wanted when it came to that stuff. I don't want to rule as badly as you seem to think I do."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Eric!" Sibyl snapped. "This isn't about you! It's about how I'm going to make sure your father never forgets about me! Cause with _my_ child following him, rather than anyone else's, how could he?"

"How silly of me to want to actually do something for myself when my whole life is supposed to be devoted to making _you_ happy," Eric told her dryly. "However can I make you forgive me?"

"I know you're being sarcastic, and I don't appreciate it, young man!" His mother told him. "And don't worry. You don't have to do anything about this. I'll handle everything."

"I wasn't expecting any different," Eric assured her. "I have no plans to get in your way."

"Good," Sibyl replied. "It'll be easier that way. And don't tell your father, either."

"I won't," Eric lied. "Don't worry. Now, as delightful as this conversation is, I have to go. And I'm sure you have better things to do than talk to me."

"You're right," Sybil agreed. "Since I'm going to a wedding, I need a dress. One that will make me look better than anyone else!"

"Even the bride?" Eric questioned.

"Yes," Sybil told him. _"Especially_ the bride." Then she ended the call without so much as a 'Goodbye', and Eric went to hug Sophia.

"You got through it," she encouraged. "Good for you."

"Thanks," Eric sighed. "Now we just have to get through the wedding. I'm so glad I warned Dad ahead of time. Things might actually turn out well for him now that he has time to get the proper backup in order."

"I hope they will," Sophia agreed. "Cause your dad and Selina are so happy that I would hate to see that ruined now."

"Me too," Eric told her and held Sophia close. "Me too."

* * *

"I am so glad that you two know how to corral demons now," Dorian told Klaus and AnnaLynne as the hours dwindled down to 'I do'. It was their job to be greeters as people came in to the venue, the ballroom of a large hotel with a crystal chandelier, black and white marble floors, and paintings on the walls. That way they would all know when Sybil would make her entrance and someone would be keeping an eye on her so things weren't totally ruined.

"Was the whole point of this wedding to draw Sybil out?" AnnaLynne questioned. "Cause if that was your plan, it worked brilliantly."

"No, that wasn't the plan," Dorian shook his head and sighed, straightening his cockeyed bow tie. "Selina and I just wanted to do this for ourselves as a way to be more in the public eye. I mean, I knew I'd have to deal with Sybil eventually. I'm not an idiot. But I hoped things would be done with Rodan first. It could get hard handling the two of them at once."

"Well, don't you worry," Klaus grinned, showing his teeth. "If she shows up, we'll take care of her. I'm actually looking forward to it. It's been awhile since I had a good fight."

"If it comes to that, take it outside, please," Dorian requested. "Is that doable?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded and rolled his eyes. "I won't make too big of a scene. Can't say the same for Sybil, but I won't add to the worry."

"Good," Dorian nodded. "Thank you."

"Is someone looking out for Arthur?" AnnaLynne wanted to know. "Should I check on him too?"

"Actually, there's no need for that," Dorian informed her. "It was a hard decision, but after a lot of discussion, we decided it would be best if he stayed home with Lily and watched the wedding on TV. He's too much of a sitting duck here."

"All right," AnnaLynne nodded. "I hope you're gonna save him some cake at least, though."

"Of course we will," Dorian nodded.

"Go greet your guests," Klaus urged. "We have things under control here, I promise."

Dorian hesitated a little longer, but when his daughter finally gave him a push, he made his way toward the door, where Selina was already playing the role of hostess, along with Amelia, who looked like she was having the time of her life.

"Such nice people are showing up here," She remarked to her daughter. "I thought we'd have a problem with the reporters, but they're behaving themselves remarkably well." She looked down at Selina's dress and fluffed up the poofy red skirt. It was actually one of Selina's dresses from the nineteenth century with some changes. "I'm still adjusting to seeing you in a red gown," she remarked. "But I have to concede that it goes much better with your lovely eyes. White kind of washes us out."

"Thanks," Selina smiled. "And I totally agree with you about white. There's a reason I don't wear it very much." She stomped her feet to keep the circulation going, grateful that she'd worn flats instead of the heels her mother had originally bought for her. She wasn't as anti-fancy shoes as Sarah, but she and heels sometimes weren't friends, especially when she knew she'd be standing a long time."

"Sorry I'm late," Dorian said as he joined them. "I trust you two have been keeping an eye on things?"

"Yeah, no worries," Selina shook her head. "But speaking of worries, Eric _did_ say that his mom was still planning on showing up, right? That's why I wanted to keep Arthur away. I know that might seem overprotective of me, but it's better than risking him dying."

"Yeah, I know," Dorian agreed. "He'll probably have a better time watching it with Lily anyway. And I could tell he was glad that he wouldn't have to wear a suit. You did the right thing. Don't worry."

"Thanks," Selina smiled and hugged him. "So glad you think so." Then she noticed her mother was frowning. "What?" She wanted to know. "Mama, what's the matter?"

"I don't like your hair like that," Amelia commented. "Let's go to your dressing room and make some adjustments. It looks much better when it's down. I don't know what I was thinking when I suggested we put it up. And let's make some changes to your make-up, too. You look a little whore-ish."

"I knew I shouldn't have done blush," Selina sighed and followed her mother to the dressing room. "I never do it right."

When they reached the dressing room, they were surprised to see a woman in a black, long-sleeved dress standing near the dressing table.

"Who are you?" Amelia asked. "Are you with the venue? Please say you are, because we have some last minute changes to make, and I want someone out there checking on details to make sure nothing goes wrong while I manage this."

"Well, why don't you do that?" The woman suggested. "I can do her hair and makeup. That's what I'm here for: to help with things like that."

"Good," Amelia nodded. "Take her hair down, poof it up a little, and make sure it's out of her eyes. Then, wash the blush off her face and then put on another layer of foundation, all right? Good. I'm going to go now." She left, and when the door was closed behind her and the woman began playing with her hair, Selina spoke.

"I have to apologize for my mother's lack of politeness. She likes bossing people around, especially at events like this."

"It's all right," the woman assured her. "She's not the only one I've encountered like that." She then got out a bottle and put some clear liquid on a cloth. "Let's redo that make up of yours," she said. "If your mother insists."

Selina prepared to have her face wiped off, but soon, the woman grabbed her from behind and put the cloth over her mouth and nose. She was trying to knock her out! They struggled for several minutes and when the woman realized the cloth wouldn't work, she went to plan B, grabbed a bat, and hit Selina several times until she was unconscious, then dragged her to another corner of the room before leaving and going to tell Dorian that Selina was ready and the wedding could begin. But there was something she hadn't counted on.

"The wedding is ready to start?" Matthew questioned as he came upon them. "I better get to the dressing room so I can get ready to walk her down the aisle!"

"No!" the woman replied quickly. "She decided she didn't want to do that. Take your seat."

But Matthew, of course, ignored the request and went to the dressing room as the woman followed behind.

"Oh, my god!" Matthew cried when he saw his daughter's still, bleeding body. "What in the hell happened?"

"I did this," the woman said, turning into Sibyl. She took a moment to admire her blonde, blue-eyed self in the mirror. She didn't look as good when she had to masquerade as a brunette. "I know we're not to the part of the ceremony where we voice objections, but I have them. This wedding isn't going to happen if I can help it."

Just then, AnnaLynne and Klaus came running. "Dad," AnnaLynne got out. "There's a brunette we really think is weird. I know you said Sibyl's a blonde, but maybe-"

"Never mind, love," Klaus interrupted and went to grab the irate female demon. "Here she is."

"Selina's not dead, is she?" AnnaLynne ran over to her, relieved to still feel a pulse as Sibyl struggled in Klaus' grip.

"This isn't over!" She cried. "This is _far_ from over! I'm going to find your son and hurt him, too."

"Should I take her to the gym?" Klaus asked Dorian.

"For now," Dorian nodded. "Until we can think of something better to do with her."

"I'm sorry," AnnaLynne apologized and got out her phone to call Arthur and tell him what happened. "I should have been watching more carefully."

"Don't blame yourself," Dorian said. "You barely know her. You have no idea how crafty she is. _I_ was the one who should have been watching more carefully."

Then, Selina's eyes opened and he let out a sigh of relief. "Are we married?" She asked. "What happened?"

"You got beat up," Matthew told her. Then he looked at Dorian. "Let's just have the officiant do the ceremony in here. I don't know if it's wise to have her walk."

"Good idea," Dorian agreed, and they did their vows in the dressing room, sitting in each other's arms, and grateful that the bride was conscious and able to say 'I do' at all.


	51. The Real Problem

"I can't believe your wedding was ruined like that!" Amelia raged soon after. "You didn't even walk down the aisle! You were covered in blood! I made all that effort and nothing came of it!"

"Actually, I probably could have gone down the aisle," Selina said. "Even covered in blood. Red is a lucky color in the demon world, you know."

"Does it make you nervous now?" Amelia asked. "Knowing that there are people out there who would hurt you just to be top demon?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I love Dorian. I know that he wouldn't let me come to any real harm."

Amelia sighed, "I know that you're going to hate what I'm about to say, but I'm going to say it anyway: Dorian is a nice man, all right? But you can't deny that you rushed into this relationship! And since you now know that it could get you killed… _twice_ , no less, I want you to think about whether or not it's worth it."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Selina asked. "Why do you think I can only be happy with law-abiding boring guys?"

"Because…and this is the same reason it's always been: I don't want you to die!" Amelia cried. "I love you and I want you in my life! You mean something to me and I don't want to lose you like I lost my brother, and your dad, and your uncle and Charlotte! Everyone I love dies way before I'm ready for them to. Please think about that before you get yourself into something that will add to that death toll!"

"But Daddy and Uncle Andrew aren't dead anymore!" Selina reminded her.

"They were once," Amelia pointed out. "And it really hurt. You don't forget that kind of pain."

Selina sighed and gave her mother, who was nearly in tears, a long look. "I'm sorry you're hurting," she said as she hugged her hard. "I'll try and think about it, I promise. I can't guarantee that it'll change anything, but I'll think about it."

* * *

"I see you're still a bit worked up after what happened at the wedding," Andrew remarked later. He'd been there, but hadn't seen much of Amelia because of how she felt the need to run around making sure everything was right. "I mean, not that I blame you. It was a horrible thing to have happen."

"Yes, and as I pointed out to Selina, this was the second time she's been hurt in this relationship. She was already killed once, and now someone's trying again! She rushed into it without really thinking, and I suggested she take the time to do it now…maybe step away from Dorian for a while and be with someone more sensible. "Handsome, rakish fellows who are good in bed aren't always the best husband material. I don't know why that's the type she's drawn to. I don't know where she'd get that from." Amelia sighed.

"Well, I wonder," Andrew replied sarcastically. "And it's always 'Do as I say, not as I do' with you, isn't it?"

"Excuse me?" Amelia bristled. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I personally think that Selina goes after the sort of men she goes after because those were the first sorts she was exposed to, one of them being me," Andrew said, his dark eyes locked on hers. "And you're not afraid to admit you like me, right? So how come you get to be with me when I share the same traits you don't want in a man for your daughter?"

"It's hardly the same thing!" Amelia responded, but she had the good grace to blush this time. "You never put my life in danger, Andrew. You know that for sure."

"That's true," Andrew nodded. "But still, it's not our place to tell Selina how to live her life, even if you think it's for the best. I think that's the problem the two of you have always had: you see she's doing something you think is dangerous and you don't even give her a chance to explain herself or fix it before you take over."

"Well, is it my fault that I know best?" Amelia questioned. "She could be more grateful."

Andrew just shook his head. "You never treat Thomas this way," he pointed out, referring to their son. "I bet you wouldn't be as harsh on him if you thought he was doing something wrong."

"That's because he doesn't!" Amelia said. "He's going to school, he's dating that wonderful Davina girl…I don't lose any sleep over _him."_

Andrew shook his head. "Okay, clearly we're getting nowhere with this. Maybe someone else can reach you the way I can't."

"Oh?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. "And who do you think would be able to change my mind when I know I'm right?"

"Your brother," Andrew got out. "Jake will be able to tell you that alienating Selina will get her out of your life a lot quicker than her dying."

"You can't tell Jake about this!" Amelia protested. Selina had forgotten to mention he wasn't dead anymore either, brought back to life with magic as a way to help defeat Klaus during his darkest period. "Don't you dare!"

"Cause you know you'll lose if you talk to him?" Andrew grinned. "That's exactly why I'm doing it."

* * *

"All right," Amelia's older brother Jake said the following day as he found himself in a very familiar position. Having to play referee between his headstrong niece and equally headstrong sister was not anything new. He'd had to do it a few times before. But he'd thought that with her resurrection and the fact that they seemed to be doing well, that would be over. He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair and peered at them, his brown eyes curious. "What's the problem now?"

"She's in a relationship with a man who's royalty and it's made her be killed once and then nearly killed again!" Amelia cried. "She didn't even think much before she got with him. Just jumped right in when she should have stopped to wonder if it was really a good idea."

Jake then turned to his niece. "And what do you have to say about that?" He questioned.

"It's true that I have been killed once and my life was threatened at our wedding," Selina admitted. "But it's nothing that Dorian himself did. He saved me. It's just part of being royalty." She paused. "You're always telling me that I need to step up, live up to the family name, and be a leader. That's what I'm doing."

"Wow," Jake got out. "That's _good_."

Amelia just shook her head. There it was. The one thing she couldn't fight against. "All right," she said at last. "Just…please be more careful. And call me every day, even if it's just for a few minutes, so I know you're not dead."

"All right," Selina nodded. "I can do that. I'll do it, Mama."

"Thank you," Amelia smiled and hugged her. "I appreciate it."

"See, this is nice!" Jake smiled. "This is what I like to see! You know, I think I might start visiting more often to keep this momentum going."

"You should," Amelia nodded. "It's good for you to get away from werewolves and books for a while and spend time around people."

"Yeah," Jake nodded, the memory of how being so involved with werewolf research had gotten him killed never far from his mind. "Maybe that's a good idea. I'll do that."

"And do you think I should talk to Dorian about this?" Selina asked her uncle. "If you say I should, I'll at least bring it up with Dorian."

"It wouldn't hurt," Jake said. "Maybe not to the point where you end things, but Dorian has to know about the dangers."

"All right," Selina sighed. "I'll ask him how he plans to have me not die in the future."

"Good," Jake smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

But as it turned out, she didn't have to. Dorian was already eager to start that conversation. "I think we need to talk," he said the second she came through the door.

"What about?" Selina questioned. "Our whole relationship? You're not dumping me, are you? Why does this always happen? I get to a place where I'm really nice and comfortable and then I just get dumped like no one gives a shit about what I feel!"

"Well, I'm just thinking of your safety!" Dorian cried. "I mean, it was one thing when we just had Rodan to worry about, but now with Sybil too…I don't know what to do!"

"So your solution is to just give up and let her take everything from you?" Selina questioned. "That's really useful!"

"No, I will keep fighting," Dorian corrected. "Just…not with you. You can go find a nice vampire to marry. You'll be safer."

"No, I sure as hell will not!" Selina raged. "If you were just gonna chicken out like this, you shouldn't have turned me into a demon! You can't just turn me into a demon and throw me out! The whole reason I got fired from my job at Astrid's school is cause no one from other species trusts demons at all now! I'll be a fucking pariah and have to live all alone! What kind of a life is that?" She grabbed him and held him close. "I'm touched that you're worried for me, but I'm staying with you. I'm not going anywhere." She paused. "Besides, that Sybil woman is safely in jail now. With AnnaLynne and Klaus working to reform her, will she really be as much of a problem as she used to be?"

"You have a point," Dorian admitted. "If anyone could wear Sybil down, it's Klaus."

* * *

"I hate you!" Sybil screamed at Klaus as she tightly gripped the bars of the cell she was being held in. "Let me out or I'll kill everyone in this room!"

"Sure you will," Klaus told her, his voice dry. "Whatever." He spat on the ground in front of the cell, and she gagged.

"You're disgusting," she whispered. "I'm surprised anyone can stand you. But if anyone can, AnnaLynne's a good option. She's nothing. You're probably her only prospect."

Klaus growled, his eyes becoming werewolf yellow as he grabbed Sybil by the throat. But she didn't fear him. Instead, she just laughed. "I'm not frightened," she said. "Go ahead and choke me. It won't kill me."

"I would be more than happy to experiment with many other ways to end your life," Klaus told her. He reached out and stroked her cheek, making her mouth twist as she stepped away from him and stood in another part of the cell.

"Is that supposed to keep me away from you?" Klaus asked. "I can come in there, you know. I have keys."

Sybil smiled. "And if you're offering to give them to me, I appreciate it."

"No, of course I'm not offering to give them to you," Klaus scoffed. "I'm just telling you that I have my eye on you and everything you do. You can't keep me away."

"Oh, but surely you won't be able to keep your eyes on me every minute," Sybil told him. "The second your back is turned, that's when I'll get away."

"You don't scare me," Klaus told her. "Not one bit."

"I bet you don't even care about what I did," Sybil said. "I bet you're only watching me because AnnaLynne and Dorian told you to. One little demon life shouldn't matter. I had my reasons for wanting to kill that woman."

"'That woman' happens to have been an ex-wife of mine," Klaus told her. "And a former sister-in-law. A part of me still cares for her very much, and the thought of her being killed makes me want to hurt her killer very badly."

Sibyl coughed. "What you need to do very badly is take a shower," she remarked. Eying his scruffy face, she continued. "And shave. That wouldn't hurt either."

Klaus chuckled, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "Are you asking me to pretty myself up for you?" He grinned.

"No," Sybil shook her head and reached through the bars of her cage to give him a good, hard slap. "And don't you kiss me again! It's just…it's gross!"

"Not when you like him," AnnaLynne said from the doorway. "Although, I think I have the right to wonder what's going on here."

"Oh, not what you think," Klaus assured her. "Baiting her is becoming an amusing new sport for me."

"Well, why don't you pause it a moment and go help bring some more people in?" AnnaLynne asked. "We're doing so well that we might need to get more space soon."

"Where should I put them once they've been registered?" Klaus questioned. "The usual meet and greet therapy session so we can see what we're dealing with?"

"Yes," AnnaLynne nodded.

"I'm glad I didn't have to go through that and have all my motives be put out in the open," Sybil smirked.

"Oh, I think it's pretty obvious what your motives are," AnnaLynne told her. "You're very transparent."

"I'm also hungry," Sybil hissed. "Get me food."

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head. "You'll eat tonight, just like everyone else. Now you have to sit in here and think about what you've done. And I'll be watching you, so don't think you'll be able to escape."

* * *

"Tell us what happened at the wedding," Amy urged the next day as she, Elijah, Lily, and Arthur sat around Elijah and Amy's kitchen table. "Were you beat up?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Thank goodness I'm not the sort of person to die just because they were hit on the head five million times."

"And that's why you didn't want me to come," Arthur said. "Now, I'm not saying that I'm glad it was you that got beat up and not me, but…thank you for letting me stay home."

"Well, what sort of mother would I be if I didn't protect you from crazy assassins?" Selina questioned.

"Is that what your wedding's gonna be?" Lily asked. "Just a brief ceremony, even though you're royalty?"

"Well, after what happened this time, even _I'm_ freaked out by what could happen if we tried again," Selina sighed. "And I promised my mother I would be more careful."

"You're listening to your mother?" Elijah questioned. He was shocked. That was something she never did. "It must've been a terrifying experience. I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Selina told him. "And if your father finds out and asks, I was more scared of whatsherface who beat me up than him."

"Even though he killed you?" Elijah raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Even though he killed me."

"What's the woman who tried to kill her like?" Amy asked Dorian. "She's obviously very dangerous."

"Oh, yes," Dorian nodded. "One of my ex-wives, who's bitter, angry, and extremely entitled. She's even more intent on having her child rule the demon world than Rodan is, and that's saying something. That was why I wanted Selina and I to separate for a bit, at least until things have calmed down. But she wouldn't go."

"You're damn right I wouldn't," Selina replied.

"You were gonna send Mom away?" Arthur cried. "Were you going to tell me beforehand, or would I just have woken up motherless one day if she'd decided to go along with it?"

"You would have found out," Dorian assured him. "And I'm sure she would have left an address for you so the two of you could visit."

"Maybe you'd feel less vulnerable if you had help," Amy suggested. "Maybe you could get Rodan to help you."

"Oh, I don't know if that's a good idea," Dorian remarked. "Sybil herself is part of the reason we're not friends anymore when we used to be, and if she sees us together, old wounds might open and-"

"What sort of old wounds?" Selina asked him.

"Well, she was with Rodan and me both, and it caused a fight, and-"

"Oh, good lord," Selina rolled her eyes. "You let a woman come between you and your best friend? You're almost worse than Sam's father!"

"Why almost?" Dorian questioned.

"Cause it was his _brother_ that a woman separated him from," Selina replied.

"Will I be in any danger from this Sybil person?" Lily questioned.

"You're with me, so there's probably a good chance of that," Arthur agreed and put his arms around her, running his fingers through her red hair. "But I won't let anything happen to you."

"I feel the same way about you," Lily told him.

"And naturally, if Lily is in danger, we're going to help you fight against Sybil any way we can," Amy told Dorian. "And Selina too, of course. I would hate to lose such a good friend." She paused. "So…do you have a battle plan?"

"Nothing you'll want to hear," Dorian answered. "Since putting people like Selina and Lily somewhere else while the rest of us fight it out isn't an option. But I wouldn't mind having a few more brains help me out. Sybil's in jail and Klaus and AnnaLynne are watching him along with their staff. We have some time."

"How much?" Elijah asked, already making notes on a napkin with a pen he had in his jacket pocket. "A lot?"

"Not so much that we can take forever," Dorian told her. "But I don't think Sybil will strike tomorrow or anything."

"First thing you should do is call Rodan," Selina suggested. "And you should do it when we get home. Or I will. I don't think there's any way to keep him out of this. Not when he could be so much help."


	52. Watch Out For Yourself

"Well, look at this!" Katherine exclaimed when she opened the door and saw Selina and Dorian on the other side. "I heard you talking to Rodan about needing to have some sort of urgent meeting, but I didn't think you would actually come."

"We have no choice," Selina told her as they made their way inside. "We have a terrible problem and we need your and Rodan's help."

"Oh?" Katherine raised an eyebrow. "What sort of problem?"

Selina cleared her throat. "You know in some movies how two antagonists need to team up to defeat a more problematic antagonist? That's the situation we're in now, apparently."

"Who's that?" Katherine questioned.

"Have you talked to Rodan about his history with a woman named Sybil Vane?" Dorian questioned.

"If he's mentioned her, I haven't paid attention," Katherine replied as she grabbed an emery board and worked on her nails. She then looked up as Rodan came in. "What do you know about a woman named Sybil Vane?" She asked.

"She's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met," Rodan got out. "Even more so than you."

"Oh, how sweet," Katherine told him. "And yet, I'm also oddly disappointed. Anyway, Dorian and Selina here claim that we have to help them defeat her or something."

"Is she back?" Rodan asked Dorian, his heart picking up.

"Yeah," Dorian nodded. "She's back." He paused. "She was at our wedding! She tried to kill Selina! That's why we left Arthur at home: we didn't want her to kill him too."

"It seems like the wedding we just had was more like bait to bring her out in the open once Dorian found out she was angry about the announcement on the news," Selina remarked. "No wonder it wasn't up to usual standards. Cause someone knew it would be ruined anyway, so why go to all the trouble?" She looked at Dorian. "Was that the point of what we did? To bring Sybil to us so Klaus and AnnaLynne could grab her? Was I bait?"

"Not intentionally," Dorian assured her. "The whole situation was meant to actually be a wedding and if Sybil just happened to show up, that was gonna be good luck. I know I should have told you."

"Yes, you should have," Selina nodded. "But since it did a lot of good, I don't mind." She kissed him. "Just take the time to tell me if you do this again, okay? Cause you know I'm more than happy to help. To the point where it's beginning to worry my mother."

"Well, I don't want to worry Amelia," Dorian remarked. "Should I go talk to her? Introduce her to Jim and Jeannette? Would that put her mind more at ease?"

"It might not hurt to introduce her to some of our staff," Selina nodded. "She wants to know that I'm protected when I do all these crazy things."

"And that's very reasonable," Dorian agreed. "I'll go try and ease her mind very soon."

"Thank you," Selina smiled and kissed him. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

"You remember that we're still here, right?" Katherine reminded them. "And that Selina isn't the only part of this problem? Did you just come over here to brag about how in love you are, or do you actually want to come up with a plan to defeat this Sybil?"

"Sorry," Dorian apologized after he and Selina separated. "Right. We have to focus on the full picture."

"What do you know about Sybil's whereabouts now?" Rodan questioned. "Is she still out and running around free?"

"No, she's caught," Dorian assured him. "At least for now."

"And how did you accomplish that, if you don't mind my asking?" Rodan questioned, a frown on his face, his arms crossed.

"Well, we invited my daughter AnnaLynne and her boyfriend Klaus to the wedding," Dorian explained. "They're working on rehabilitating the troublesome demons that have been popping up lately, teaching them to channel their energy in more positive ways. And even if that program doesn't work with Sybil in the long-term, at least we'll know where she is until we can find something better to do with her." He paused. "Do you have any better ideas? Maybe it's best if you don't try and take the wheel because you're much more susceptible to Sybil's charms than I am. If we send you to confront her, we'll all be ruined."

Katherine scoffed and nudged Rodan aside, getting right in Dorian's face. "Not if I have anything to say about it we won't," she said. "I'm not letting some tart steal him!"

"I'm so touched," Rodan remarked. "Could you be showing that you care for me?"

"Enough to stop you from acting stupidly with your old girlfriend," Katherine nodded. "That's true."

"I won't let her outsmart me," Rodan reassured her. "I was naïve the first time and she was able to use that to her advantage, but not now. I've learned my lesson."

"Watch him like a hawk," Dorian advised Katherine. "I know he means well, but Sybil…she's something else when you see her with your own eyes."

"I will," Katherine assured him. "Don't worry."

"Great, just great," Rodan spat. "You make one mistake and you end up being babysat by your wife. I don't need that!"

"Even so, for the good of the demon world, I think I might need to lock you in our bedroom for a few days," Katherine told him. "Or at least in this house so she can't get at you on the off chance she escapes." She grinned and whispered Rodan's ear. "Tie you to the bed. Make it so you have to do exactly what I say. Is that what you want, Rodan?"

"Maybe," his breath started to pick up. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

They then began kissing and Selina and Dorian eyed one another. "I think that's our cue to make a quick exit," Selina remarked, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door. "Let's let them have their privacy. We're clearly done here."

* * *

It wasn't long after Dorian and Selina had left (in fact, it was as they were making their way out the door and getting in his car) that Katherine got Rodan to their bedroom and locked the door, then deftly tied him to the bed and nibbled on his ear, telling him she had to go change, but she would be back soon.

"You better be," Rodan responded. "I know what's coming and I hate to be kept waiting." He paused. "Are you going to change in the bathroom? Why don't you just change out here? I would love to have a little show."

"Oh, all right, you big baby," Katherine smiled. She paused. "Oh, I'm so silly," she remarked as she came to untie him. "It seems I need you to help unzip me."

"I would be happy to," Rodan assured her, grinning widely. He hopped out of bed and came to stand behind her, pulling her close and swaying a little, pushing up the skirt of her dress and slipping his hand in her panties to give her a rub as she shut her eyes and reveled in the feel of his lips on the warm skin of her neck. Then, when she felt herself climax, she kicked her panties aside, hearing him unzip her, his hands slowly roaming over her neck, shoulders, and back, and sending tingles through her body.

"You're going to kill me," she whispered. "I thought this was supposed to be _my_ show."

"Well, I changed my mind," Rodan told her, peeling off her tight black dress. "I'm not in the mood to be dominated at the moment. Are you?" He then turned her around and pushed her against the wall, his eyes flashing, his breathing heavy. "Are you?" He repeated.

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me," Katherine commanded as he grabbed her and obeyed, then put her over his shoulder and carried her to bed, pushing into her over and over again as she showed him her demon face, hissed, and threw her arms around his neck, holding him tight.

* * *

When they got back to their house after talking with Rodan and Katherine, Selina gave Dorian a hug. "Sorry I was so snippy before. I didn't mean to yell at you like I did. It's just that…it always seems to happen that when I'm in a relationship where I feel loved, cared for, and comfortable, along comes some reason for the guy to back out, and it's frustrating." She paused. "Do you want to be married to me?"

"Yes," Dorian nodded, grabbing her face and kissing her soundly. "I only…I did and said what I did and said because I was scared of losing you. Because I was scared that after the death and near death experiences you've had as a result of being married to me, you'd want to leave. Sending you away was as much about protecting my feelings as it was keeping you safe and that was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Selina hugged him. He still smelled really good. She liked the scent of clean soap and nice cologne on a man. In addition, Dorian always seemed to have the faint smell of blood on him and she found that attractive too. She then looked up at him. "This probably isn't the best time to ask if you can take the day off from the office tomorrow and…spend it with me? I can have the vice principal look after things at school."

"I would be glad to for just one day," Dorian smiled and picked her up. "After all we went through, we deserve some peace and quiet."

"Sounds like a plan," Selina smiled. "I knew you'd agree, so I told everyone already at school and they have the sub lined up. You want me to go call the office for you?"

"No, I can do it," Dorian assured her. "Why don't you run us a bath? I'll join you in a few minutes."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Sounds good." She gave him one last kiss and a spank before gently pushing him in the direction of the phone. "Don't keep me waiting."

"I won't, don't worry," Dorian assured her as he took his cell phone out his pocket and called someone at the office to let them know that he would be out the next day, and not to do any big projects while he was gone.

When he strode into his bedroom and opened the bathroom door, Selina was already sitting in the tub, covered with bubbles, but when she saw him, she smiled and carefully got out, walking toward him, her body dripping and sudsy. She kissed him, then removed his tie and undid his shirt before walking back to the tub, and resting her head on her folded arms on the edge of the tub.

"I'll let you do the rest," she said. "I'm going to enjoy this."

So Dorian dropped his pants and boxers while Selina watched without blinking, her tongue running slowly over her bottom lip.

He grinned as he watched her, then when he was undressed, he turned on his heel and made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Selina yelled. "Get in here! I don't like taking baths alone!"

"I was just teasing," Dorian chuckled as he came to join her in the tub, pulling her close to himself and kissing her firmly. "You didn't really think I was gonna leave you in here when you're all wet and soapy."

"Well, I should hope not," Selina replied, smiling as he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her again.

* * *

The next morning, they were awakened by the smell of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon. Their chef was standing by the open curtains as sun shone through the window. "Good morning," he greeted them with a smile. "Who's ready for breakfast? Would you like it in bed, or would you like to come eat in the dining room?" He paused. "Mr. Jim and Miss Jeannette are here, if that helps your decision."

"We should probably go say 'Hello'," Selina said. "Have you offered them anything?"

"Yes, ma'am," the chef nodded. "And I'll go tell them that you're on your way."

"Thank you," Selina told him. "We won't keep them waiting long."

When they got to the kitchen, they found Jim and Jeannette sitting at the kitchen table, sharing food and coffee.

"Good morning!" Jeannette greeted after swallowing. "I'm so glad you two decided to take the day off today. I was gonna suggest you do that."

When Dorian and Selina were sitting down with blood, coffee, eggs, bacon, pancakes, and other stuff like that, Jim asked, "What are you planning on doing today?"

"Actually, we're thinking of staying in," Dorian explained. "Heading back to bed once you guys have left."

"With all the Sybil business, we thought it would be best for us to stay with you," Jim said, his brown eyes concerned. "You don't mind, do you? We won't get in your way."

"If you feel that's necessary, of course we would love to have you," Selina remarked. "And feel free to have the run of the TV and the refrigerator."

"Well, thanks," Jeannette smiled. "That's very sweet!"

Selina and Dorian headed to bed and tried to be involved with each other like they had been the night before. They did the usual running their hands over each other, deep kissing, ear nibbling, and all that.

But it was as Dorian buried himself inside her and she let out a cry that they realized that this wouldn't be as easy as they thought, especially when Selina's cry led to Jim bursting to the room, gun drawn.

"Oh," he blushed. "Sorry. I heard you scream, and…"

"Never mind, Jim," Jeannette tried to pull him toward the door. "She's fine. Let's leave them alone."

"Oh, don't bother," Selina sighed. "We'll be out to join you in a minute. Wait for us."

They spend the rest of what they originally thought would be a day in bed watching movies and playing cards with Jim and Jeannette, while hoping that Sybil wouldn't break out of jail and make another unwelcome surprise appearance.

* * *

"Well, look who it is," Sybil drawled the next day. She was sitting on the floor of her cage with her legs crossed, a rag on her lap to do her nails on, with no way out. A coffee cup was floating by the hand that had the dry nails on it, and every so often, she would pause her painting to grab the cup and take a sip. "I was hoping I would never see your lousy face again, Dorian."

"I feel the same, but here we are," Dorian said. "That was a neat trick that you did at my wedding. I bet you think you're clever."

Sybil burst out laughing. "Oh, I don't think I'm clever. I know it!" She then yelled at Klaus, who was making his way back into the room. "Hey, don't you think I'm clever?"

"I think you're annoying," Klaus told her. "That's not the same thing."

"It's nice the two of you like each other," Dorian remarked with a grin. Then he patted Klaus on the shoulder. "I've decided I want you to be in charge of her from now on."

"And what does that mean, to be 'in charge of her'?" Klaus questioned. "Just so I know exactly what you're getting me into?"

"You know what I mean," Dorian said. "Watch her. Don't take your eyes off her for a minute. And don't worry about AnnaLynne. I'll get other people to help her watch the rest of the demons so you can give Sybil your _full_ attention."

"What does that mean?" Klaus asked. "What do you mean when you say you want me to give her my full attention?"

"I want you to take her home with you," Dorian informed him. "I want her to live with you."

"Well, you sure know how to hold a grudge," Sybil pouted. "What did I do to make you want me to go live with that?" She pointed at Klaus.

"How many times do I need to remind you that you just attempted to murder my wife?" Dorian questioned.

"Yeah," Sybil giggled. "That was funny. I sneaked right in the wedding venue and no one even knew it was me. You have such idiots working for you."

Dorian narrowed his eyes and unlocked the cage, pulling Sybil out roughly.

"Oh, I do so like it when you use force like that," Sybil smiled, reaching up to touch his face.

"Take her to your house with you," Dorian demanded, pushing her into Klaus' arms. "And call me when you've arrived and she's been settled in. You don't need to come back here once that's done."

"You mean from now on, I have to be holed up in my house with her?" Klaus questioned. "Damn!"

"Well, I don't like it either, honey," Sybil informed him. "But we'll have to make do somehow."

Klaus growled and put her over his shoulder, carrying her out to his car, and throwing her in the trunk before driving off.

* * *

When they reached his house and he reluctantly let Sybil inside, she looked around the clean house, with its art on the walls and surprising number of antiques, and, with a grin, settled herself down on a red couch. "I could get used to living here," she remarked with satisfaction. "Not with you, of course, but I could."

"What do you mean 'Not with me'?" Klaus yelled. "This is my house! You have to live in it with me!"

"No, I don't," Sybil replied, pointing her finger toward the open window that looked out into the backyard. "You'll be living outside now. I'll take the house. That's fair."

"No, it's not. Where will I sleep?" Klaus cried.

Sybil grinned and led him out to the yard where a large yellow dog house with a red roof and a purple door sat. "Here," she said. "Sleep there."

"That's a fucking dog house!" Klaus cried. "You sleep there!"

"If you want me to behave myself and stay where I'm supposed to, you let me have your house," Sibyl told him. "I would hate to hear what Dorian would do to you if he found out that I escaped when it could have been prevented. Wouldn't you?"

"I want to kill you," Klaus spat.

"Go ahead and try," Sibyl said. "You won't be able to. Now get into your little doggie house like a good boy. Unless of course you'd rather join me in bed. _Then_ you can come to the house with me."

"Over my dead body," Klaus told her.

"Whatever you wish," Sybil kissed him. "But it's your loss."


	53. A Jailbreak

That night, he went to the dog house she had zapped up for him to sleep in just like she thought he would, and course Sybil was more than pleased about this. That meant his plan was working. He would come back, of course, but it had to be at the right moment. When he was sure that she was sound asleep. Then, he'd frighten the daylights out of her and make _her_ sleep in another room. Or out in the yard. Or…he still had some planning to do.

She watched him the whole time, of course. There was no way she figured he would just go of his own accord. And after she had watched him cram himself in there, she left, a giggle on her lips, and headed back to his house. Now she had time to have a look around.

The house was a mess. The only things in the refrigerator were pizza and beer, and blood. Making a face, she took a bottle of beer out and opened it. She'd need to have some beer in her before she went and had a look at the bathroom. It was probably a mess too.

She downed the beer, threw the empty bottle in the trash, and headed to the bathroom. She stood staring at the door for a few minutes before she finally got the courage to open the door and go inside. And to her surprise…the bathroom wasn't a mess at all. Everything was spotless, there were fluffy white towels piled on the back of the toilet, and when she looked under the sink, she found body wash and washcloths.

Since the bathroom met her standards, she turned on the faucet of the large, claw foot tub, added in some bubble bath, threw in a washcloth and some lavender soap, and then after undressing, immersed herself in the warn water, submerging her body up to her neck in the deep tub.

She shut her eyes and tried to relax, but then decided that she needed soft music and a little wine, so she zapped up a glass of pinot gris and a small radio that played Chopin, and nodded with satisfaction. There, that was better. The world was warm and safe and it felt like she was floating on air as the water cradled her body. But then she opened her eyes and let out a shriek when she saw Klaus grinning at her. He was in his clothes, but somehow he had managed to get in with her without her noticing.

"Hello, love," he grinned at her and splashed her in the face. "Miss me?"

"You're supposed to be outside!" She spat and coughed. "What are you doing in my bath?"

"Actually, it's my bath," Klaus informed her. "My house, my tub, my bed, my beer…everything is mine. Now, because I'm being paid to watch you, you have to stay here. I've come to terms with that. But there is no way you're taking over. Do you understand?"

"No," Sybil shook her head. "It doesn't register."

Klaus scoffed. "Of course it doesn't. As for how I got in your bath…you just…I came in and I thought you would open your eyes when I closed the door, but the music and your feeling of calm must've stopped you from hearing me. You didn't even open your eyes when I got in the water. That was very amusing." He chuckled. "You should have seen the look on your face!"

"Get out of my bath!" Sybil growled."Now!"

"No, I don't think I will," Klaus grinned. "At least not until you tell me you're going to let me sleep in my own bed while you take one of the smaller rooms or the couch."

"You can't enforce that," Sybil smirked.

"I can and I will…" Klaus told her. "I don't even need your promise. I'll do whatever I like. I'm just giving you a chance to be sensible."

"Get out of my bath," Sybil repeated.

"Fine," Klaus told her and did just that, dripping water all over the floor. "See you later."

Sybil smirked to herself as he left and shut the bathroom door, but later, when she finished her bath and headed to her room dressed in only a towel, she found that the door to the master bedroom was locked.

"Who is it?" Klaus called. "Sybil, is that you?"

"Yes!" She cried. "You let me in here right now!"

"I told you, this is my room," Klaus informed her. "And if you're gonna stay here, you'll need to pick a different one."

With a growl, she tried to knock the door down, but it held firm against her pounding and thrashing. Finally, she fell to her knees on the carpet outside the room, panting heavily.

"Are you ready to concede?" Klaus questioned. "It'll be much easier for you that way."

"This isn't over," Sybil hissed. "I swear to you it's not. You enjoy the fact you've won this battle. But you haven't won the war!"

"Where are you going to sleep?" Klaus called after her.

"I'll find a place," Sybil shouted over her shoulder. "But there's not a chance in hell I'm telling you where it is."

* * *

After her terrible first night in the house, in the smallest bed in all of creation, what Sybil wanted the following morning was to wake up, and have coffee and peace and quiet. She received an unpleasant shock when she found AnnaLynne sitting at the kitchen table with a coffee cup and the paper. When she and AnnaLynne locked eyes, AnnaLynne spit out her coffee.

"Why are you so shocked?" Sybil questioned and snatched the coffee cup from AnnaLynne. "Didn't your father tell you that I live here now?"

"Oh, I know that," AnnaLynne assured her. "I was just coming to pick up my things. I used to live here, but Daddy thought that with you being…how you are, it might be best for me to make other arrangements."

"Where are you going?" Klaus questioned as he came into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna move in with Eric and Sophia for a little bit," AnnaLynne replied and grabbed a doughnut. "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right." She looked Sybil over and then turned her attention back to Klaus. "You have enough problems without my adding to them."

"Thanks," Klaus told her. "That helps a lot."

"No problem," AnnaLynne said. "And don't worry about helping me get my things out to the car. I can do it. Just watch the problem lady."

"Oh, of course," Klaus nodded. "I don't intend to do anything else. Not even for a minute."

"You can't be serious," Sybil told him. "You're a lot of talk."

"You believe what you want," Klaus told her. "But you'll see that you're wrong."

"Shut up and get me coffee," Sybil demanded.

"All right," Klaus agreed and got her a cup. But as he made his way to the table, he 'tripped' and it went all over her lap.

"Shit!" She cried. "Have you lost your mind? That could have really hurt me! _And_ you stained my white shoes."

"It was an accident," Klaus reminded her. Grow up. And have a muffin. They're blueberry. I don't know what my daughter was thinking when she brought them to me."

Sybil gave him a swift kick and went to grab a muffin and, although she hated being made to feel like a servant, her own coffee. It was a lousy start to her new living situation. But she could make it better for herself. Klaus was a man. And if anyone knew their way around a man, it was Sybil Vane.

* * *

It soon became apparent to Sybil that Klaus was not easy to toy with like many of her other men had been. It made things less fun for her. She had been counting on being able to play with him like a pretty toy. It would have kept her amused and contained like Dorian wanted, but that was apparently not to be. Just as he'd promised, he (or one of his goons) had eyes on her every minute. It was maddening. She had to get away from the house. She had to find the one man who she knew would play her game, Rodan.

But how to escape from Klaus? Since he was doing such an annoyingly good job watching her, it was unlikely she would just be able to head out the door and not come back. But what she noticed almost immediately was that he had a fondness for alcohol. She zapped up a few bottles of the best wine she knew and put them in the refrigerator. The bottles had spells on them that would make anyone who touched them want to keep drinking until the drinker was unconscious or the bottle was empty.

"Can we talk?" She asked Klaus, who was painting.

"I want to be alone," he told her. "What do you want? To play some other trick on me?"

"No, I want to apologize," Sybil said. "I know I've been a problem, so I zapped you up a surprise as a way to say 'I'm sorry'. Go and see it. I think you'll like it very much. And don't be afraid to enjoy it." She smiled. "That's what it's there for."

Klaus looked at her suspiciously. "I don't think so," he said. "I know you're not just doing this out of the goodness of your heart. I'm not stupid."

"That's true, you're not," Sybil admitted, then zapped herself upstairs to grab one of the bottles. "But I bet you're thirsty. Doesn't this look good? Have a little."

When Klaus got a good look at the bottle, he swore. It was a red that he'd wanted to try for ages, that took years and years to taste good at all. "Is that…drinkable now?" He asked at last, hating himself.

"Yes," Sybil nodded. "You can have all you like, no waiting." She zapped up a glass and filled it with the red liquid. "Here you go," she said, holding it out. "Drink up!" She watched him finish that glass and then another, and another, and he didn't even notice as she headed toward the door, knocking out anyone who tried to stop her with her magic.

When she was out on the pavement, she took a deep breath. She'd gotten over one hurdle, now she had to conquer the next one: where _was_ Rodan, anyway?

* * *

It took her so long to find Rodan's house that when she finally arrived at his doorstep, it was an ungodly hour in the morning, even though she'd left in at a decent hour the evening before. She began ringing the doorbell and pounding on the door, something that quickly roused Katherine and Rodan.

"Go get that," Katherine commanded. "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Oh, all right, I'll go," Rodan huffed. "Whoever is down there…I'm going to kill them cause I want sleep just as much as you do."

But then he opened the door and saw Sybil. His jaw dropped and before he could speak, she threw herself in his arms and kissed him. "Hi, sweetie!" She cried. "Did you miss me?"

Meanwhile, Katherine was waiting for her husband to return, and when he didn't come back in a timely manner, she decided to go downstairs and check on him. "Rodan?" She called, standing at the top of the stairs that went down to the grounf floor. "Who's at the door? Come back to-" She paused and ran down the stairs the rest of the way, because right there, plain as day, was her husband and a strange woman, kissing.


	54. Searching For Sibyl

"Just what is going on here?" Katherine cried as she turned on the light. "Rodan, what are you doing?"

"He's kissing me, are you blind?" Sibyl questioned, pushing Rodan away. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Katherine," Katherine replied and gave Sibyl a forceful push that made her land on her bottom. "Rodan's wife. So keep your damn lips off him."

Then she noticed the look on Rodan's face. He was trying really hard not to laugh and there wasn't a hint of shame in his eyes. "If you two want to keep fighting, go ahead," he urged her. "I'd be more than happy to watch and explain who she is after."

"No, thank you," Katherine shook her head as Sibyl scrambled to her feet. "Just tell me who she is."

"Tell me who _she_ is first!" Sybil demanded, narrowing her eyes. "I came here hoping we could be alone."

"Well, if that's what you're looking for, you won't find it here," Katherine told her.

"Of course not," Rodan nodded. "Aren't you supposed to be in jail?"

"Would you believe I got time off for good behavior?" Sybil asked, playing with her hair.

"No," Rodan shook his head. "Not one bit."

"Well, I did, kind of," Sybil told him. "I've been moved somewhere else by one of Dorian's henchmen. But I got him drunk and escaped his watch, so here I am!"

"I hope you don't think you're going to be staying here," Katherine said. "Cause that won't happen."

"Oh, yes it will," Sybil replied, grinning at her as she stroked Rodan's arm. "How are you going to stop me?" She barely had time to react before Katherine let out a hiss, knocked her down, and began punching her over and over and over.

"How can she do this?" Sybil asked Rodan. "Is she a demon?" Her suspicions were then confirmed as Katherine revealed her demon face.

"You better believe I am," she replied. "Surprised? You shouldn't be."

"Okay," Rodan interrupted after watching Katherine and Sybil hit each other for a few more minutes. "That's enough."

"Why?" Katherine paused. "Why won't you let me kill her?"

"Because the government is looking for her to punish her for bad behavior and I don't want to have to deal with what Dorian will do to me if I cheat him out of a chance to get revenge on her for what she almost did to Selina," Rodan told her. "So move it. And I'm sure that you don't want to get blood on the carpet, do you?"

"No," Katherine conceded as Sybil scratched her face. "I guess not." So she got up and Rodan pulled Sybil to her feet.

"The question is, what do I do with you now?" He asked. "Are you going to leave peacefully, or am I going to have to call someone to come get you?"

"At this hour in the morning?" Sybil pointed to a clock that read just after three a.m. "That wouldn't be very polite, now would it? I guess I'll have to stay for now."

"Fine," Katherine conceded. "But you'll be sleeping on the couch."

"Why?" Sybil demanded. "I'm sure you have a bed somewhere that you aren't using."

"And if you were someone else, or had at least had been invited, I would have let you have it, but you aren't and you weren't, so you're sleeping on the couch," Katherine told her and pushed her toward the living room. "Take it or leave it."

"Rodan, what do you say to all this?" Sibyl questioned. "You want me to have a bed, don't you?"

"No, I don't," Rodan shook his head, trying to stay strong. "You're lucky that you have a roof over your head." He turned to Katherine. "Would you like to show her to the couch? I'll zap up a few blankets."

"Oh, of course," Katherine nodded. Then she got closer to Rodan and whispered in his ear, "And when we go to bed, we should probably lock the door, so she doesn't get any ideas."

"You know you want to," Sybil smiled. "Don't try to pretend."

"I'm capable of being open-minded," Katherine said. "Just not with you." She led her to the couch, threw blankets and a pillow at her, and then did magic so that the only place Sybil was allowed to go besides the couch was the bathroom.

"You don't trust me," Sybil pouted when that was done. "That's hurtful."

"I don't know why I should trust you," Katherine pointed out. "We only just met and I can tell that you have your eye on Rodan."

"And why wouldn't I?" Sybil's eyes gleamed as she thought of Rodan's naked body. "He's a good looking man. And he's very good in bed."

"Oh, I know," Katherine nodded. "That's what you were interrupting when you showed up. I hope you're happy."

"Well, I was until I saw your stupid face," Sybil replied.

Katherine kicked her and then scoffed. "You know, I have better things to do than exchange like this with you. Rodan is waiting for me. Good night."

"Goodnight," Sybil called after her. "Say 'Goodnight' to Rodan for me."

"I will not," Katherine replied curtly. "Good night."

When she got to the bedroom, Rodan was standing with his hand on the bedpost, his clothes off. "What kept you?" He asked as he took her in his arms with a smile. "I was getting worried."

"I know, I'm sorry," Katherine apologized, kissing his palm and nibbling his fingers as he ran his fingers through her hair with the other hand as they fell into bed. "I shouldn't have kept you waiting." She gently squeezed his length under her fingers. "Does this make up for it?"

"Yes," Dorian shut his eyes and lay back against the pillow. "It surely does."

* * *

"I can't believe you got kicked out of Klaus' house," Eric said as he and Sophia helped AnnaLynne unpack. "Why would Dad do that?"

"Cause your mother is a fucking piece of work, that's why," AnnaLynne told him. "Dad is having Klaus watch her and he doesn't want me to distract him from his work or something. But even if he _hadn't_ asked me to leave, I would have."

"Look at it this way," Eric suggested. "At least you know you aren't related to her and when you were around her and didn't want to be, you could leave. For me, even if we're not in the same space, she can still call and nag me and be annoying."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," AnnaLynne remarked, genuinely feeling sorry for her brother for perhaps the first time ever. "That really sucks."

"You are not kidding," Sophia agreed.

"Have you met her?" AnnaLynne questioned. "Sybil, I mean?"

"Not personally," Sophia replied. "But from what I've heard, I don't really want to." She paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Cause I met her before, when I was moving out," AnnaLynne explained. "And she's really…something else."

"You can use the actual bad word," Eric said. "It doesn't bother me. I've thought it in my head a million times."

"No, that's okay," AnnaLynne shook her head. "I don't need to. But…what did Daddy see in her? She doesn't seem like his type at all."

"Maybe not now," Eric said. "But when she and Dad were together, he was a very different person. Plus, she really does know her way around men. When she wants to be, she can be anyone's type, and she's definitely not the sort to pass up a chance to get in bed with and take power from the most important demon in existence."

"If she's all in it for power, why'd she go be with someone else instead of staying with you all the time?" Sophia questioned.

"Don't ask me how my mother's mind works," Eric shrugged. "I've had to deal with her for years and I still don't know." He paused as they heard a phone ring. "Whose is that?" Sophia questioned as their hands went to their pockets.

"Looks like it's mine," AnnaLynne remarked and put her phone to her ear before pressing the call button, not surprised at all who was on the other end of the line. "Hello?"

* * *

Frustrated as hell about Sybil outsmarting him and running away, Klaus wondered who he could call that would both help him and not rat him out to Dorian. He called AnnaLynne.

"Sybil ran away," he told her. "I don't know where she is. Do you have any idea?"

"Sure," AnnaLynne nodded. "Just a second."

"I know you'll hate me for this," she told Eric. "But you have to talk to your mom. You need to convince her to go back to Klaus'."

"Oh, do I have to?" Eric whined. "I don't want to talk to _her."_

"Think of it as a favor to demon kind," Sophia urged. "Call your mother."

"Oh, all right," Eric huffed and pulled out his phone. "But I won't like it."

Sophia and AnnaLynne kept their eyes on him as he punched in Sybil's number. He waited and waited as it rang until finally, an irate voice answered.

"What in the hell?" Sybil asked. "Can't you take a hint and hang up after you've let the phone ring a few times and no one has answered? I was busy! You've always been needy, though. What is it you want?"

"I want you to go back to Klaus'," Eric said. "You shouldn't have escaped in the first place. It was wrong."

"Well, when have you ever known me to do right?" Sybil questioned. "And there's no way I'm going back there. If I had wanted to stay, I wouldn't have left. I'm more appreciated here with Rodan anyway. If that's all you want to talk to me about, then I'm hanging up. Goodbye."

"No, Mom, don't, I-shit!" Eric swore as he heard the click.

"Let me guess, she's not going peacefully?" AnnaLynne questioned.

"No," Eric shook his head and hugged Sophia. "Not that I believed she would. It's not in her nature, after all."

"Well, she's gonna wish she would have," AnnaLynne remarked. "Cause I'm calling Klaus and telling him where she is. Did she say?"

"She said she was at Rodan's house," Eric informed her. "Does Klaus know where that is?"

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head. "But I can get him directions very easily of course. He'll go find her and when he takes her back home, he won't be gentle about it. He was just calling me about your mother as a matter of fact. This is all very good timing."

* * *

"Hello, Katerina," Klaus said when he entered the house and found her standing by the door. AnnaLynne had said he would be coming to collect Sybil and she couldn't have been happier about it, something Klaus saw right away "How are you? Happy to be rid of Sybil, obviously."

"Good, and yes I am. You better believe it." Katherine replied, her tone guarded, even though she knew he wasn't here for her. "What can I do you for?"

"Bring me Sybil," Klaus demanded. "I need to bring her home with me."

"Oh, I don't want to bring her to you," Katherine replied with a smile. "I think you'd get much more satisfaction retrieving her yourself." She pointed to a nearby hallway. "Third door on the right, don't hesitate to knock the door down."

She then chuckled as the sound of a door being knocked off its hinges was followed by a terrible shriek.

"No!" Cried Sybil's voice. "You put me down! At least let me get dressed."

Katherine looked up and saw that Klaus was dragging a black dress clad Sybil by her hair as she tried to bite him, kick him, and reach up high enough to scratch out his eyes. "Apologize to this woman for messing with her husband, then you can get dressed and we'll go home."

"No," Sybil replied. Rodan had been under her seductive spell just like old times, and that wasn't her fault. She wished it had been Katherine who'd found them. She would have _loved_ to see the look on her face.

"I'd go with him if I were you," Katherine said. "That's the only way you'll have a roof over your head. Cause you're not staying here anymore. You wore out your welcome a long time ago."

Sybil then let out a shriek and put her hands around Katherine's throat, shaking her until she turned a light shade of blue and struggled to loosen the grip.

"All right now," he said at last and pulled at her. "You've had your fun. Let's go." He put Sybil over his shoulder as Katherine struggled to get her breath back. "Thank you for saving me."

"I didn't do it for you," Klaus said. "If I don't get her home soon, Dorian will start asking questions that I don't want to answer right now."

"You mean like how you were dumb enough to let me get you drunk and escape?" Sibyl questioned. "I'd like to know how you were that dumb too. You made it too easy."

"Well, I'm definitely going to be more careful in the future," Klaus replied. "I won't fall for your tricks."

"How?" Sybil questioned. "I'll be eager to know."

"And I'll be eager not to tell you," Klaus told her. "I can't reveal all my secrets." He brought her out to his car and tossed her in the back seat like a bag of potatoes. "Comfortable?" He asked, then shut the door on her before she could answer, getting in the driver's seat and pulling into the street.

As they drove, he turned the radio on loud to drown out any complaining she might do, which made for a very enjoyable drive for him, and when they arrived home and he brought her into the house, the first thing he did was tie her to the bed with black silk scarves.

"This is interesting," Sibyl grinned. "I thought you'd be into stuff like this. "I am too! So we're having sex now?"

"Not yet," Klaus smiled and dimmed the eagerness in her eyes. "I'm gonna leave you there for a while so you can think about what you did. It'll be good for you."

"You are a terrible man!" Sibyl shouted and tried to remove the restraints, shocked to find that she couldn't. "What is this?"

"There's a spell on the cords so that I'm the only one who can untie them," Klaus grinned. "Lucky for me, I know a good witch or two. He turned and headed to the door. "I'll be back when I feel like it," he told her. "I'm sure you have lots of sins to think about."


	55. Sticking A Toe In The Water

Though there weren't many people who missed Sybil, one in particular paid attention to her absence: Her father, Jeffrey. He was one of the higher level demons, but unlike most, he had no interest in making nice with Dorian. He just kept to himself, most of the time, his unruly daughter the only family and company he preferred, which is why he would get particularly testy if he felt like she was ignoring him, like she seemed to be at the present moment.

"Damn it, Sibyl! Answer me!" He cried after not reaching her for the tenth time. "Damn it!" He was at a red light that suddenly turned green and in his anger, he didn't get moving fast enough and was rear ended. "Oh for fuck's sake!" He cried and got out, grabbing a bat from his backseat, taking it out, and bashing out the windows of the offending vehicle, a blue BMW.

"Hey!" Cried the woman inside. "Do you mind?" She poked her head out and frowned at him. He was about to hit the car again, but he caught her eye. She was beautiful, and blonde. And angry. She got out of the car and grabbed him by the hair. "Don't hurt my car." She grabbed the bat and hit him with it. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?"

"No, stop!" He cried and covered his head. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"You better be," the woman spat and threw the bat down. "What in the hell is your problem?"

"Sorry," Jeffrey quickly apologized. "I just…I've been having problems with my daughter." Then he gave her a toothy grin. "What do you say we go out for a drink as a way for me to apologize? And does a woman as pretty as you have a name?"

"I do, but what makes you think I'm going to give it to you?" The blonde questioned him.

"Well, would you rather I called you something like Lady Precious instead?" He wanted to know.

"No, god!" The woman's cheek twitched as she shook her head. "If that's the alternative, I suppose I'll have to let you call me Gwen."

"Well, hello, Gwen," Jeffrey smiled. "Would you like to know _my_ name?"

"I suppose I'll need to if you want me to pay for the mess I made of your car," Gwen replied.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Jeffrey scoffed and shook his head. "I can handle that myself, easily. All you'll need to do for me to make up for this is to come have a drink with me and then we'll see where things go."

Gwen just shook her head. "Wow, aren't you bold? For all you know, I could be married!"

Jeffrey chuckled and leaned in closer. "Even if you are, that's never bothered me before."

"I guess I am in a sense, but my husband is gone right now," Gwen replied. "And I'm a bit lonely so…if you'd like to take me out for a drink, I accept. Then I can decide if you deserve to see more of me."

"I'm honestly surprised you said 'Yes'," he remarked, looking a bit deflated.

"Well, let's get real," Gwen replied and sat on the hood of his car. "I know men like you. If I'd said 'no', you would have pursued me until I gave in to you, right? So let's just skip the games and go right to the part where we go on the date, I hate it, and then never see you again."

"You're blunt," Jeffrey said. "I like that in a woman. It gives me something to prove. So…where do you want to go?"

"You can buy me coffee," Gwen told him. "I'm not going anywhere with you that has alcohol."

"All right," Jeffrey agreed as cars began honking. "Write down your address and I'll come and pick you up. Would tomorrow be good for you?"

"Like I told you, I want to get this over with as soon as possible," Gwen replied and headed to her car. "Tomorrow is fine." She wrote her address down and handed it to him. "See you then."

* * *

"Good for you, Mom," Gwen's daughter Rebecca remarked later that night. "I think it's great you're dating again."

"Well, it's hardly a date," Gwen told her. "I'm just making it up to him because I rear-ended him. Then after we go out this one time, I'll probably never see him again."

"Why not?" Rebecca asked. "Isn't it a little early to say?"

"I thought you came over to keep me company while Eli was out of town," Gwen told her. "I didn't know there would be an inquisition about my dating life."

"I don't mean for it to be an inquisition," Rebecca apologized. "I just…Mikael's been gone for a while now and who knows when he's going to come back? I don't like seeing you be alone!"

"After Mikael, being alone for a bit would be a blessing," Gwen remarked. "Not to say he didn't have his appeal, but he could get awfully tiring."

"You do what you want," Rebecca shrugged. "But I really think that it wouldn't hurt you to have company." She paused. "If you don't want to date this Jeffrey guy, the man who lives down the street from Eli and me is about your age and he's really nice-"

"No, thank you," Gwen very nearly snapped. "I don't need you to set me up. Just let me do things my way, all right?"

"Fine," Rebecca nodded and pushed some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. "I'm gonna make popcorn. You want some?"

"Sure," Gwen nodded and sat down on the sofa. "Why not?"

"And then we can pick out what you're gonna wear on your date!" Rebecca added as she made her way to the kitchen."

"It's not a date!" Gwen called, her head beginning to throb. Next time this happened, she was going to tell King, cause he didn't make a fuss about stuff like this. He may have his issues, but at least he kept his feelings about her relationships to himself.

"So…" Rebecca remarked as she came back with the popcorn bowl. "Tell me more about this guy. How did you meet him?"

"How about we wait with that conversation until I decide I want to be with him?" Gwen suggested. "It might not happen. It probably won't. It's no use getting emotionally invested if things aren't going anywhere."

"Well, you have a point, but I really hope it does," Rebecca told her. "Don't you?"

"I don't know," Gwen shrugged and reached for a handful of popcorn from the bowl her daughter offered her. "We'll see."

* * *

"I still don't get why you suddenly insisted we had to take two cars," Jeffrey said when they arrived at the coffee shop and sat down. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble of finding my number. I would have gladly come to take you."

"Yes, well…my daughter is way too interested in me having a relationship, so I thought it would be best for you and I to just be separate since this is just a one-time thing," Gwen said. "How's that? Surely you don't intend for this to be an on-going thing?"

"I'm intrigued by you," Jeffrey admitted and leaned forward, whispering, "You're not human, are you?"

Gwen's eyes widened. "I'll answer that question when we get outside again. Cause I know you're not human either!"

"And you'd be right," Jeffrey grinned.

After that, they drank their coffee and as soon as her cup was empty, Gwen got up and strode toward the door, leaving Jeffrey alone with the check. He then heard the sound of a car pulling away, and after throwing some money down on the table, ran out to the parking lot where he realized his car was gone, and he'd left the keys in the ignition. He then went to her car and saw that she'd been smart enough to take her keys.

He sighed. It seemed like he was going to have to walk home. She was sneaky, that one. It was nice to know she was more than just a pretty face. He loved a woman who could put up a good fight.

* * *

"What's been going on with you two lately?" Sarah asked Rodan and Katherine when they came to visit her, Josh, and Sarah. "You accepted my invitation awfully quickly. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, it's fine," Rodan nodded. "Sybil's gone now, so it's great."

"When did you see Sybil?" Josh asked. "And thank goodness you're with Katherine now because Sybil was your bad habit." He bounced a grinning Ellie on his lap and kissed her hair. "Just like this little pumpkin and her mother are two of mine."

"Isn't that sweet?" Katherine smiled. "How's married life?"

"My dad is still having trouble with it," Sarah replied. "My birth dad. I haven't talked to him in a while. He's anti-demon."

"I'm anti demons who aren't you and your father," Katherine told Josh. "That Sybil and I didn't click. But that's what she gets for trying to steal my man!"

"I hope you beat her up," Josh smiled. "Did you?"

"She did," Rodan grinned, grabbing Katherine and giving her a kiss. "It was marvelous."

"I should have beaten you up too, "Katherine told him. "What were you doing with her?"

"We have a complicated past, you know that," Rodan said in a strained voice. "It's not just gonna go away."

"Why not?" Katherine demanded. "Don't you want it to? I thought you liked me! I got turned into a demon for you, so it better not have been for nothing!"

"It's not, it's not!" Rodan quickly assured her as her hand became a fist. He then got up and grabbed Ellie out of Josh's lap. "You wouldn't hit a man carrying a child, would you?"

"No, of course not," Katherine smiled and took Ellie in her own lap and then gave Rodan a light punch in the arm. "See?"

"You two aren't gonna start fighting, are you?" Josh asked. "Can't you at least play nice in front of Ellie?"

"I will if she will," Rodan said.

"Damn, that means I have to," Katherine pouted. "Cause I will not be the bad guy here."

"And speaking of playing nice in front of Ellie, remember that I have to take her to see Sean tomorrow for his first visit and if you want to come, you have to be civil," Sarah reminded Josh.

"Or you could _not_ take her at all," Josh reminded her. "Why does he even get to have a relationship with her when I'm the one doing all the fathering?"

"The whole point of this is to allow him to do fathering himself," Sarah replied. "I know that it ticks you off, and frankly, I wish my brain would just let me leave Sean out in the cold, but it doesn't, so…this is how it is. It won't be forever. Just a couple of hours. And you know that if it's too much for you, Ellie and I can go alone."

"And then you and I can get a drink, son," Rodan added. "This might be a good way for us to bond."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Josh told him, standing up. "I do want us to bond, but there is a snowball's chance in hell that I'm going to leave those two alone with stupid Junior. I'm going. That's it."

"Good," Sarah nodded. "I expect you to behave yourself."

"I will if he will," Josh replied, his eyes dark as he cuddled Ellie, who snuggled up against him with her thumb in her mouth. "That's the deal."

* * *

The next day, Josh was feeling very tense when Sarah told him that it was almost time for Ellie's first meeting with Junior.

"You don't have to come," Sarah said for the millionth time, hoping he would heed it. "If it will bother you."

"No, it's all right," Josh insisted as they drove to Liam and Mary's. "I…you've mentioned that you want us all to be civil and work together, and to do that, I have to be there."

"Well, good," Sarah smiled. "I'm proud of you. This is a nice change from yesterday."

When they reached the house, Junior opened the door and invited them in, but when he reached for Ellie, she turned her head and buried it in Sarah's shoulder. "She's still a little shy," Sarah explained.

"Well, that's fine," Junior said. "I mean, I _did_ kidnap her. That requires some trust. I want to show you something. Sit her down on the couch and I'll bring it out."

Sarah, Josh, and Ellie sat on the couch, feeling very curious, and when Junior brought out the picture and showed it to Ellie, the little girl reached out and put her tiny hand on the part of the picture with Sarah's face on it, then stared up at him, her face blank. He tried to make faces at her, but it didn't work.

"Doesn't she ever smile?" Junior questioned.

"Yeah, just not at you," Josh remarked and then made Ellie laugh. "See? I really _am_ better at this than you are!"

"Josh," Sarah remarked through her teeth. "Remember what we said about getting along."

"Right," Josh nodded. "Sorry." But he wasn't really and he knew she probably sensed that. They sat in awkward silence and then Junior asked, "What is it that we want to do now?"

"Other than go home?" Josh asked before he could stop himself.

"All right, that's it," Sarah told him. "Go sit in the car until we're done."

"What?" Josh asked. "Why?"

"Cause I asked you nicely to behave yourself and you won't do it," Sarah replied. "I know this is a weird, awkward situation, but we have to get through it."

As Josh stomped out the door, Sarah apologized. "Sorry about that," she told Junior. "He's really a lot nicer than he seems. I wouldn't have gotten through things lately without him. Or at least it would have been a lot more difficult. The only reason he would leave me is if I made him, like I just did."

"I see that," Junior nodded. "You're very lucky."

"Yeah, I am," Sarah nodded. Then she pushed her daughter's diaper bag toward him. "Her toys are in there. Take some out and play with her. She likes the stuffed animals best."

"You know, I remember when she was first born and I had her, we had a good rapport," Junior mused as Ellie played with a teddy bear. "I really want to rebuild that."

"I know you do, and I'm glad," Sarah said. "And I'm glad. But it'll take time and Josh will probably never truly accept it."

"Well, it's good I don't have to bond with him, then, isn't it?" Junior wanted to know. He then bent down to try and kiss Ellie's hair, but was sent flying backward and landed hard against the wall.

"Oh, my god!" Sarah remarked. "How did that happen?"

"I think I know," Junior replied. "Maybe I should just lay off the displays of affection for now." He rubbed the bump on his head and gazed down at Ellie, who was frowning. "You're really strong, aren't you?" he asked her.

"Yes," Ellie nodded. Then she got up and started to walk away.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" Sarah called.

"I go bye-bye now," Ellie explained, heading for the door.

Sarah sighed. This was exactly what she'd feared would happen. "Sorry about this," she apologized to Junior. "I really want her to give you a chance."

"Well, this is a good start," Junior replied. "Like you said, she'll need time to get used to me." He handed her the picture. "Why don't you take this so she can at least get used to seeing my face."

"All right," Sarah nodded. "That's a good idea." They then headed to the door where Ellie was trying to reach the knob and groaning in frustration.

"Here you go," Sarah told her and opened it while Junior went to get Ellie's diaper bag. "Now you can go to the car and see your daddy. Are you happy?"

"Dada!" Ellie smiled, her eyes lightening up. She was, and Sarah was not surprised.


	56. Never Gonna Give You Up

"I think you and I should talk," Josh said, ambushing Sarah when she got home from work. "I've been quiet before, cause I knew it would make you happy and I wanted Ellie to have a smooth transition since you insist on letting that son of a bitch ex boyfriend of yours be in her life, even though she doesn't like him and he has done _nothing_ for either of you, but I'm sick of it! I'm sick of just following after you like an obedient puppy while you treat me like…like a dog, or a doormat or something. Do I have to remind you of all we've been through together? That I am the one who you said lightened your burdens when _he_ just makes them worse? And speaking of which…why are you being so nice to him? Did he bribe you or something? Is Ellie being threatened with harm if you don't comply with his demands?"

Sarah was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. He was so mad that his demon face was showing. He hardly ever got that way.

"I-I'm sorry," she got out at last and cautiously put her arms around him. "I suppose I _have_ treated you badly and for reasons I can't even explain, cause you're right: Sean doesn't deserve all the leeway he's been getting from me. I suppose I could say that I've been nice cause I don't want him to kidnap Ellie again, but that's no excuse. If he did, you'd stop it because you're a good man and you love her. You look out for her. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Josh sighed. Then he asked something that was like a knife in Sarah's heart. "Do you really love me? Do you want to continue our marriage now that Sean's back? Or is all this your way of telling me you want us to separate so you can be with him?"

"No, of course it's not!" Sarah told him. "Of course I don't want to be with him! I want to be with you! I love you."

"I hope you don't hate me for saying I don't quite believe you yet," Josh told her as she threw her arms around him. "If you want me to believe you, you'll have to work harder to prove it. Are you willing?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded, her dark eyes locked on his. "Of course I am."

* * *

"I've screwed up," Sarah sighed as she met Selina on her lunch hour. "I don't think anyone has ever screwed up as much as me."

"Well, what did you do?" Selina questioned. "I have lots of life experience; maybe I can help."

"I don't know, but I'll take what I can get," Sarah told her. "Ever since Junior got back from Europe, I had this stupid idea in my head that he should have a chance to get to know Ellie. I know it's illogical cause he ditched me when he found out I was pregnant and even Ellie hasn't shown any interest in wanting to get close to him cause she likes Josh better. It's nuts to have to juggle two men who want to have the love of one little girl!"

"You want to hear about how I got pregnant with twins by two different men?" Selina questioned.

"You what?" Sarah asked, looking shocked. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Roxie had a pregnancy scare and I was terrified to tell Klaus, so I went to talk to Damon and we got drunk together, and then after we had sex, he told me that he'd taken a potion from a powerful witch that made him fertile for just one sex session and whoever his partner was would get pregnant with his baby. So to cover that, I went home and had sex with my husband at the time so I could pass Damon's baby off as his, but then I got pregnant by him too, and it was just a mess. Trying to figure out custody stuff was just a _nightmare_ , especially after Damon ran off with Sam."

"But you made it work?" Sarah asked. "Do you think there's hope for me?"

"Of course," Selina nodded. "But I think (and you can ignore my advice if you want to) that you should stop trying to force a relationship between Ellie and Junior when she's clearly not ready for it." She paused. "Is this hurting things between you and Josh too?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "I don't mean for it to, but it is."

Selina nodded. "All the more reason to take Junior out of the equation, at least for now. Don't you think?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded and reached for some of Selina's fries. "I agree. But Junior's not gonna be happy about this."

"And when he complains about that, what will you say?" Selina asked.

"That if he wanted to know her, he shouldn't have left once when he found out I was pregnant, and again when Ellie was a baby," Sarah said. "You can't know people by leaving them. And I won't let him upend our entire lives to get his own way."

"Good!" Selina nodded. "That's right." She paused. "And how are you gonna make it up to Josh?"

"I have an idea," Sarah told her. "But I'll need your help, if you're willing to give it."

"Of course," Selina nodded. "What do you need?"

* * *

Josh came back from the zoo with Ellie and saw Sarah's car in the driveway at a time when she would usually be at work.

"How odd," He remarked and got out to come around and get Ellie out of her car seat. "Your mother is home, Ellie Bean. I wonder what she's up to."

When they reached the door, there was a sign on it. "When you get in the house, close your eyes."

"Okay," Josh nodded, holding Ellie in one arm and opening the door with the other. Then he put her down, shut his eyes, and called, "Sarah, I'm home! Are you?"

"She's here," Selina assured him and led him to the table where drinks had been set out. "Just sit down and she'll be out in a minute. But don't open your eyes until she tells you. That's important!"

"All right," Josh agreed, although he still had no clue what was going on.

Selina then picked up her niece and brought her to hang out with Jeannette before going to check on Sarah. "How are things going?" She asked her sister, who was wearing a red and white striped dress. "You need help?"

"No," Sarah shook her head and looked at herself in the mirror, straightening out her skirt. "Do I look okay? I feel like a dork."

"You don't look like a dork," Selina told her. "You look good!"

"Thanks," Sarah blushed. But she still felt odd. "Is Ellie with Jeannette?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And any time you're ready for it, I can have the steak brought out."

"Thanks for doing this," Sarah smiled at her sister. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Selina smiled. "I've got your back."

Then, they both headed to the kitchen where Josh sat waiting at the table, his eyes still closed. Sarah leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently, saying, "How was the zoo?"

He opened his eyes, looked at the table, set out with two chairs and the nice dishes Sarah had gotten from Matthew, and gasped. "What's all this?" He questioned. "I feel under-dressed."

"Oh, I hoped you wouldn't," Sarah put a hand to her mouth. "I didn't want this to be too fancy."

"I don't care," Josh shook his head. "And can I say that you…you look beautiful?"

"You may," Sarah smiled and kissed him. "Thanks. But this is all more for you than me. An apology about the Junior business. I've decided that I'm going to hold back on him and Ellie meeting until she's old enough to make that choice for herself. Cause she likes you better anyway. And even if I do a bad job of showing it sometimes, so do I." She grabbed him and kissed him. "I love you very much, Josh, and I can't imagine not being married to you."

"Thank you," Josh told her and hugged her close. "I really needed to hear that."

"I know you did," Sarah nodded and urged him to sit down. "And I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry that I made you feel like I didn't care about you. I'm gonna face that and stop making excuses."

"Good," Josh smiled and took a swig from the beer bottle by his plate. "Thank you." He then rubbed his hands. "What are we eating?"

"Steak, mashed potatoes, corn…and I think there's apple pie, too, along with salad." Sarah told him.

Josh grinned. "I like all those things."

"Good," Sarah leaned across the table to kiss him as they brought the salad out. "I'm glad. Bon appetit!"

* * *

"Oh, fuck!" Gwen cried as she parked in her garage after picking it up from the coffee shop, and Jeffrey popped up from the backseat. "What do you want?"

"I want my car back!" Jeffrey explained. "You don't think I'd just let you drive off with it, do you? Where is it? Is it here?"

"First, how long have you been waiting in there for me to come pick this up?" Gwen questioned. "Not since I first left the coffee shop."

"No," Jeffrey shook his head and kissed her neck. "What sort of a fool do you take me for?"

"A big one if I can get away from you so easily," Gwen replied. "And I don't like fools."

"Are you sure I did what I did because I'm foolish?" He questioned. "What if I just enjoy the thrill of the chase and wanted another chance to see you?"

"I would say you're insane," Gwen replied and got out of the car. "But I _will_ give you points for being so memorable. It's a shame I don't date demons."

He grabbed her and kissed her then. "Don't you think it might be time to start?" He asked when they pulled apart.

"I don't know," Gwen replied as she wiped her mouth off, trying not to feel like she'd just received an electric shock. "We'll see."

"Yes, I hope we will," Jeffrey smiled. "In fact, while I'm here, would you like to invite me in for a drink?"

"No, I would not," Gwen replied. But then her jaw dropped as Rebecca pulled in the driveway and came in the garage, a grin on her face as she looked in the window.

"Well, hello!" She waved. "I'm Rebecca, Gwen's daughter. What's your name? Are you that guy Mom's talked so much about?"

"You've talked about me?" Jeffrey asked Gwen as they got out of the car and he shook Rebecca's hand. "I had no idea."

"Oh, don't be so flattered," Gwen's eyes narrowed. "None of what I said was nice."

"And I don't know why that is," Jeffrey shrugged. "I never did one bad thing to you. _You_ were the one who ran into my car and broke my windows with a bat, and then drove off and left me alone at the diner. _You_ are the crazy person in this relationship."

"Maybe," Gwen agreed. "But if I'm so crazy, why did you get in my car and follow me back here?"

"I didn't say it was an unattractive quality," Jeffrey countered. "I was just saying that's how you were."

"You two want to come in?" Rebecca offered. "Or do you just want to stand out here and talk? Either is all right with me."

"I'd love to come in and have a drink if you're offering," Jeffrey said. "Thank you." He offered Gwen his arm and she just shook her head and strode through the garage and the front door, shutting it in Jeffrey's face. If he wanted to get in, he'd have to open the door himself.

"All right," she said when he got in. "Have your drink and go on your way. I don't know why else you'd want to be here."

"I can think of a reason or two," he said and got close to her with a wink.

"Here's something you have to learn about me," Gwen remarked, using her magic to send him sliding a few feet away. "I'm not the sort to fall for Casanova moves. If you think you can get my attention and keep it that way, you're mistaken."

"Clearly," Jeffrey nodded, looking her in the eye, his breath picking up. "I'll be eager to experiment and find out what way will work best."

"Assuming I let you," Gwen leaned in closer. "What makes you think that I will?"

"The fact that I have no intention of letting go of my suit until you do," Jeffrey responded. "Give me a try. It won't be so bad. How can it be worse than being alone?"

"Why do you think being alone is bad?" Gwen questioned. "I like my freedom. At least when the alternative is a controlling man who thinks he's all that."

"That's not who I am," Jeffrey protested. "How can you say that about me?"

"Just a guess," Gwen replied. "Now, are you going to drink your drink, or can I take it and drink it myself?"

"Oh, all right," Jeffrey sighed and gulped down some scotch. "That's very good!"

"Can I make you something to eat?" Rebecca offered him.

"No, don't say that!" Gwen protested. "What brings you here? Isn't Eli worried about you? Can't you go home to your husband?"

"I could, but you need me now more than he does," Rebecca smiled.

"You know I don't need you that way!" Gwen huffed. "You just want to stick your nose in my life."

"Well, can you blame me for being interested?" Rebecca questioned. Then she sighed. "But I suppose if you really want me to go, I can call Robbie and Louisa to see if they want to do something."

"Good!" Gwen nodded. "You do that."

"Good luck!" Rebecca remarked as she turned on her heel, waved over her shoulder, and then left the house with a slam of the door.

When she was gone, Jeffrey and Gwen stared at each other in silence. "Can I have a tour?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Fine," Gwen said. "Come on."

They hadn't taken very many steps when Jeffrey spotted a picture of Mikael on one of the tables and picked it up. "Who's this?" He asked.

"That's my husband," Gwen replied. "I mean, legally he's my husband, but he's out of the picture now. He got on the bad side of a demon and-" she drew a finger across her throat. "Of course, he can't really die, but…he's gone now. At least for the moment."

"Ah," Jeffrey nodded. "All right." He paused. "Did you say a demon killed him?"

"Yes," Gwen nodded. "He's actually done more in the demon community than you would think."

"And nothing good, right?" Jeffrey questioned.

"Good guess," Gwen nodded.

"You want me to show you that he's wrong and they aren't all bad?" Jeffrey questioned. "Cause I would love to."

"Are you always this persistent?" Gwen questioned.

"Not at all," Jeffrey shook his head. "Normally, I don't have to be. You're the first woman who's made me have to work this hard to even get dating on the table."

"And you're willing to keep pushing?" Gwen questioned. "You won't give up?"

"No," Jeffrey shook his head. "You're too fascinating."

"All right, give me a few days and I'll think about it," Gwen said. She wouldn't tell him, but it was a bit of an ego boost to hear all that. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Jeffrey nodded. "Thanks for the drink." He turned on his heel and walked to the door, pausing to write something down on a slip of paper and put it in her hand. "My number," he whispered against her earlobe. "You'll need that."

"Yeah," Gwen whispered. "I might."

* * *

"Well, what stupid problem of yours do I have to listen to now?" John asked when Malachai came into his house. "That's the only reason why you'd want to see me, isn't it? Did things work out with my son? Are he and Sarah back together?"

"Not at all," Malachai huffed. "She's married to a demon now! We can't stand for this!"

"No, we can't!" John agreed. "But what do you suggest we do?"

"We call on someone who has defeated the demons before," John replied. "Mikael."

"But he's…he's been killed!" Malachai reminded him.

"Vampires like him don't die forever," John returned. "All we have to do is find his body, pull the dagger out, and then he'll be alive again. Perfect plan, don't you think? We can get him to kill the demon that married Sarah and your problems will be solved."

"And what's in it for you?" Malachai questioned. "Cause I know you're not doing this out of the goodness of your heart. I have to do something for you, don't I?"

"Maybe," John nodded. "I just don't know what."

"Fine, but first we get Mikael out," Malachai insisted. "I won't do anything for you until that happens."

"Yes, yes, all right," John nodded. "Whatever."

"Do you know where Mikael is?" Malachai wanted to know.

"We can find him," John assured him. "Don't worry about that. It'll take time, but we'll do it."

"We better," Malachai sighed as his brain brought him pictures of Josh and Sarah. "Cause I don't think I'll be able to deal with this much longer."


	57. A Pretty Prison

"How have you been sleeping?" Klaus questioned, poking his head into Sibyl's room. "Would you like me to help you change into a night gown or something?"

"Oh, drop dead!" Sybil shouted, straining against the restraints. "There is no way I'm going to let you undress me."

"You will someday," Klaus grinned, coming to move some of her hair out of her face. "And for heaven's sake, why don't I wash you off?"

"I don't need you to give me a sponge bath or anything like that," Sybil growled, showing her demon face. "I know you know you're in the perfect position to take advantage of me when I'm helpless like this. Admit it."

"Oh, really, now," Klaus scoffed and took her face in his hands. "If I wanted to take advantage of this situation, I would have done it a long time ago. I wouldn't have waited. But aside from restraining you, I'd say I've been pretty gentlemanly." He paused and ran his hands lightly over the exposed skin of her neck, shoulders, and arms. "Even when I've been tempted not to be." He then kissed her, just to see the look on her face, laughing wildly as she spat and he turned on his heel, leaving the room.

When he got back to the living room, his phone rang.

"What?" He asked.

"That's a nice way to greet people," Dorian remarked. "Did you get Sybil? Or is she still out running around?"

"No, I got her," Klaus replied. "And she's properly restrained."

"Good," Dorian said. "And since it was alcohol that helped her get away the first time, I don't want you drinking until further notice."

"Excuse me?" Klaus asked. "It's bad enough that she's living with me. Now you're telling me I can't drink to forget about it?"

"You're being paid good money to do a job!" Dorian reminded him. "It's not like I'm just sticking you with Sibyl for weeks on end for nothing!"

"The only reason why she's with me is because you're vulnerable to her," Klaus pointed out. "If it were up to you, she'd have the whole demon world under her control in two seconds."

"That's not entirely true," Dorian countered. "Do I need to come over there and make sure that what I'm saying sticks?"

"Oh, come on, Dorian," Klaus said. "Do you really think you can afford to take time away from the office just for that?"

"This is important, so yes," Dorian replied. "I'll be seeing you in a little bit."

Klaus growled and turned off his phone, going into Sybil's room and checking to see if her restraints were still on tight.

"What's with that grouchy face?" She asked. "Did someone just call and tell you to free me?"

"Oh, don't you wish?" Klaus chuckled. "No. Because of your escape, Dorian's coming to make sure you're not going to be able to do it again."

"Figures he'd have to check on you," Sibyl remarked. "Any other reasons why you might be grouchy? You can tell me."

"Well, you should know one of the big ones cause it's all your fault!" Klaus snapped. "You and that damned spell you put on the wine bottles!"

Sibyl burst out giggling. "Did Dorian tell you that you couldn't drink anymore? Maybe that'll be good for you."

"Oh, shut up," Klaus huffed. "I hate you!"

"I know you do," Sybil grinned. "I feel the same."

"Klaus?" Dorian called. "Where are you?"

"He's in here with me!" Sybil called. "He's letting me out to run amok!"

"No, I'm not!" Klaus called back, his eyes widening. "Don't listen to her!"

"I'm not," Dorian assured him from the doorway. "Don't worry. Now, let me have a look at all this…" He came over and began examining the ropes, pulling at them to make sure they were secure.

Sibyl grinned and grabbed his hand, placing it on her chest. "It's a little tight, Dorian. Loosen the ropes a little, would you?"

"No," Dorian shook his head and pulled his hand out of her grip. "Not a chance." He then looked at Klaus and pointed out the bedroom door. "Now we have to empty the house of all the alcohol," he said. "Where do you keep it?"

"You mean I have to get rid of every single bottle?" Klaus asked. "But what will you do with them? Why are you being so wasteful?"

"I'm not just going to throw them away!" Dorian assured him. "What kind of a fool do you take me for?"

"I don't think you want me to answer that question," Klaus replied. "You won't like what I have to say."

"Okay, well…never mind," Dorian shook his head. "We're getting rid of the beer now. Where is it?"

"I don't know," Klaus hedged. "I just might not tell you."

"There's lots in the kitchen," Sibyl grinned. "And in the basement. Take it all. It'll be good for him."

"Thank you," Dorian told her. "Nice to see you're interested in doing something other than causing trouble."

"Causing trouble for whom?" Klaus asked as Dorian dragged him out of the room. "Cause it sounds like she's making lots of trouble for _me_!"

"That's part of the challenge of the job," Dorian told him. "Now let's get all that beer out of this house."

"What are you gonna do with it when you've got it?" Klaus wanted to know. "That wife of yours is a big alcoholic. Don't tempt her."

"Oh, I am aware," Dorian assured him. "I have other people I can give it to. Colleagues in the government. They all enjoy a good drink."

"Well, it's nice to know it's going to a good cause," Klaus huffed.

* * *

After his alcohol disappeared and Klaus found himself having to actually focus on his current situation, he found himself spending more time with Sybil.

"Sorry they took all your alcohol away," she told him.

"No, you're not," he shook his head as he watched her. "I know you're not at all. It makes you happy."

"If you untie me, I bet I could find a way to make you forget your problems," Sybil assured him.

"Oh, I don't need to untie you," he told her. "All I need is a paddle or something to give you a whack on the ass!"

"You would do that?" Sybil questioned and then moved herself so that she was on her stomach on the bed. "Okay. Go ahead."

"You actually want me to?" Klaus asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Sybil agreed. "I think it would be good for the both of us, don't you?"

"I don't think I'd want to do anything that would make you happy," Klaus told her. "In case you haven't realized it, that's not the point of this situation."

"I don't care," Sibyl rebuked him. "You know you want to do it anyway, so go ahead."

Klaus sighed. "Oh, all right," he told her. "But I know I'm going to regret this."

He couldn't find a paddle or a bat so he just ended up using his hand, and hitting pretty hard.

"Harder!" Sibyl cried, sucking in a breath. "Do it harder! I know you can!" She laughed every time his hand made contact with her bottom and soon, he flipped her over and her face was red.

"I think you've had enough," he told her. "You're enjoying this too much."

"I never thought you would wimp out before I did," she told him. "Could it be that you actually care for me and don't want to see me hurt?"

"No, it's not that at all," Klaus replied, picking her up and carrying her to the shower where he sat her down on the shower floor and doused her with cold water. "It's just that if I let myself do all that I wanted to, you would be dead and then what good would that be?"

"Oh, demons are made up of much tougher stuff than you think," Sibyl told him and spat out water. "Try me."

Klaus tried not to think of what she would look like, dripping wet, his view of her body not hampered by ropes. But he stopped himself, grabbing some shampoo. "We might as well wash your hair while we're in here," he remarked, taking her hair out of its tie and running the shampoo through it. It wouldn't hurt."

It was madness, but he even found himself doing nice things like massaging her scalp too. What was he thinking?"

"I like that," She said, her voice honest. "Keep it going."

"Fine," Klaus told her. "But don't count on it for every shower."

"Whatever you say," Sibyl replied, believing that no matter what he said, she'd still get whatever she wanted.

* * *

"Well, it's about time you let me out, you big jerk!" Sybil cried when he finally untied her after several days of isolation and she got off the bed and stretched herself out. "I don't know what's wrong with you that you think you can tie me up like that."

"It didn't occur to me that it would bother you very much," Klaus winked in a way that made warmth pool in her belly. "You seem like the sort of girl who likes things like that."

"Well, I do, but not from you!" Sybil cried. "I think you're just…you're just stupid!"

"Stupid?" Klaus raised an eyebrow. "All that anger directed at me and 'Stupid' is the best insult you can come up with? Don't make me laugh!"

"Now that I'm free, I can wipe that stupid smile off your face!" Sybil cried and launched herself at him, knocking him to the ground. But that was a mistake. It was as she rested on top of him that she smelled him and looked down in his eyes and she felt herself bending her head closer and closer to his before she gave him a good, hard slap and locked herself in the bathroom.

"Come out, Sibyl!" Klaus called. "What do you think you'll be able to do in there?"

"Nothing!" Sybil shouted back. "I just want to be away from you!" She paused. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Klaus asked, clutching the doorknob.

Behind the door, Sybil was undressing. Once she was naked, she opened the door and invited him in. "I remember you said something about wanting us to take a shower," she grinned. "Why don't you join me?"

Klaus looked her over and shook his head. "No, thanks," he said. "Nice try, but I'm not interested."

"Of course you are!" Sybil shouted, her voice becoming a shriek. "How could you not be? I mean, look at me!"

"You may be good enough for demon boys," Klaus told her. "But you're not good enough for me. And what do you think I am, an idiot? I know what you're trying to do, and do you honestly think I'll let you control me?"

"Well, it would be more fun if you did," Sibyl pointed out. "Please let me control you. Just for a little bit? I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"I think you need to be tied up again," he told her. "Or wait…maybe that's too fun for you. Why don't I lock you in a room with nothing to eat but bread and water?"

"That's a cliché," Sibyl remarked. "You've been alive for a gazillion years. Can't you come up with an interesting punishment? Frankly, I'm disappointed in you."

"Just shut up and get dressed," Klaus ordered, waiting until she did so and then picking her up and locking her in another room with just her cell phone as a link to the outside world.

"You really think this is gonna make me learn my lesson?" She asked him with a shake of her head before he closed the door.

"No, but it'll mean I don't have to look at you, and that's good enough for me," Klaus replied and then slammed the door shut and went to watch some TV.

* * *

"Finally!" Jeffrey yelled when he finally got a hold of his daughter. "Where in the world have you been? I've been calling for days looking for you cause we need to talk. Why haven't you answered me?"

"Well, I was a bit tied up before," Sybil explained. "I'm sorry."

"What could you have been doing that would stop you from being able to call me? Do you realize how freaked out I get when I don't hear from you?" Jeffrey yelled.

"Oh, don't be so over dramatic," Sybil scoffed. "You probably didn't miss me at all. I bet you found a woman to keep you busy."

"Well, I have someone who could be a possibility," Jeffrey admitted. "I was trying to call you when she rear-ended my car."

"I'm glad I could help you meet women," Sybil remarked dryly. "It's my dearest ambition."

"What's going on with you?" Jeffrey questioned. "Have you found a man?"

"He likes to think of himself more as a prison warden," Sybil answered. "He actually said he was going to lock me in a room without food or water. That's where I'm at right now. Can you believe it? Isn't that quaint? Doesn't he realize that you could come and rescue me if you wanted? You would do that, wouldn't you, Daddy?"

"No," Jeffrey replied. "I think it might be good for you to spend some time with a man who won't do whatever you say. I would love to talk to him sometime. Can I?"

"Yes," Sybil huffed, feeling very disappointed. "I'm sure you two would make very good friends. You want me to get him for you?"

"Not now," Jeffrey replied. "But yes, eventually, I would like to speak to the man who's going to teach you lessons you should have learned a long time ago."


	58. Sibyl's Story

Sybil hoped and prayed that her father wanting to talk to Klaus was some horrible joke or that he wouldn't actually do it, but the next time he called, it was soon apparent that he had been serious.

"Not that I don't love you, but I do want to talk to your prison warden," Jeffrey told her. "Do you not remember me saying that?"

"I do, but I was sure it was a joke," Sybil replied. "You don't want to talk to him! He's not even that interesting! I almost wish they would let him drink. He was more tolerable that way."

"Let me talk to him," Jeffrey told her firmly. "Please."

"Oh, fine," Sybil huffed and got up to ring the bell Klaus had given her to let him know she needed something. She was only supposed to ring it sparingly. "But you're wasting your time." She rang the bell and Klaus opened the door, looking irritated. "What?" He huffed.

Sybil held out the phone. "My father wants to talk to you."

"Why?" Klaus asked.

"Because he wants to know the man who managed to keep me caged up," Sibyl informed him. "I think he wants to congratulate you on your efforts."

"All right," Klaus shrugged and came into the room, taking the phone from her. "I'll talk to him." He put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Is this Sibyl's father?"

"Yes," Jeffrey told him. "Who's this? What's your name?"

"I'm Klaus Mikaelson," Klaus told him. "I'm sure you've heard of me."

"Of course," Jeffrey replied. "One of the Original vampires. How could I not?"

"Are you calling because you want to see your daughter?" Klaus questioned. "If that's the case, I'd like you to do it at my house because there's no way I'm letting her out, even if it's for just a few minutes. It's too big of a risk and I've got a job to do. I'm sure you understand, right?"

"Oh, of course!" Jeffrey agreed with a chuckle. "It's not a problem because I want to see my daughter, yes, but I also want to shake the hand of the man who's successfully keeping her on a leash. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've not even done that. So…what's your address?"

Klaus gave it to him and said, "You can come by any time. It's not like I have much else to do."

"All right," Jeffrey agreed. "Sounds good. And are you planning on telling Sybil?"

"No," Klaus said. "I think it might be better to keep it a surprise."

* * *

"Daddy!" Sybil cried when she saw him on the day he came for his visit. "You came to see me! You came to _save_ me!" She threw herself in his arms and made herself weep. "He's so horrible to me! You're so nice to take me away from this horrible man!"

Klaus and Jeffrey, who were both very acquainted with Sibyl's theatrical moods by now, just looked at one another and rolled their eyes.

"Stop," Jeffrey told her firmly and detached her from himself while giving her a frown. "You know it doesn't pay to act like a child. It never has."

"Why don't you go back to your room so that your father and I can talk?" Klaus suggested.

"What if I don't want to?" Sibyl questioned.

"I'll carry you back and lock you in myself," Jeffrey told her firmly. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"Fine," Sibyl replied and stomped away. She went to her room and slammed the door to make them think she was where she was supposed to be, and then sneaked back to an alcove near the living room where she could see and hear them, but they couldn't see or hear her. They would have no idea that she was listening, yet she would know every word of their conversation.

"What is it that you're doing with her again?" Jeffrey questioned. "Why is she here?"

"Dorian hired me to keep an eye on her," Klaus explained. "He seems to think that she'll cause him some trouble if she's not watched closely."

"Doesn't surprise me that he feels that way," Jeffrey remarked. "Sybil tends to fall for very territorial men. My last son in law…he was a real piece of work, that man." He paused. "Just what trouble does Dorian think she'll cause?"

"Oh, I don't know," Klaus shook his head. "It's something to do with the way the demon government works and how Sybil wants her son with Dorian to rule next, but he wants another one of his sons to rule. Or something like that. I don't know the exact details. Stuff like that gives me a headache."

"I don't blame you," Jeffrey agreed. "I know all that, but I don't get actively involved with it. It's much more fun to watch from the sidelines."

"You're one of the higher up demons?" Klaus asked in amazement. "You really don't seem like it. I wouldn't have guessed to look at you."

"Well, I don't really like to put on airs," Jeffrey explained. "And that made my dear Sibyl impatient. She wanted that high life. When she and Dorian became an item, it was the happiest day of her life. She couldn't go a day without talking about it. I was glad to hear she got what she wanted, but boy was it tiring to listen to every single day."

"Oh, I hear you," Klaus agreed. "Why do you think I tied her up and put her in another room? I should gag her too."

"Hey, you do what you need to do if it's part of your job," Jeffrey told him. "You won't get any protests from me. I only ask that I hear from someone here…her or you, it doesn't matter, so I know that she's not dead. She's all I have, you know."

"And yet you don't want me to be gentle with her," Klaus grinned. "Interesting."

"Well, if she's done something wrong, if she's causing trouble, of course she should have to make up for it," Jeffrey said. "I'm not one to let myself or anyone else I'm related to think they're above the law just because of their position."

"That makes you one in a million then, doesn't it?" Klaus asked. Then he stood up and said, "Hey, can I get you a drink?" Then he frowned. "Sorry, I can't do that. Thanks to a trick your daughter pulled on me, all alcohol has been removed from this house."

"Oh, thanks, but I'll be fine," Jeffrey told him.

"You want to tell me more about Sybil?" Klaus questioned. "I'd like to get to know my enemy."

Sybil, meanwhile, had of course, heard every word of this, and it…it shocked her. She had no idea that her father's opinion of her was so low. He'd always talked like that, but she'd thought it was a joke. She hadn't realized he'd really meant it. She thought about getting up and going back to her room, but something told her that she should stay. Their talk wasn't over yet, and if Klaus was going to tell her father what his plans for her were, all the down and dirty details, she wanted to know them so she'd be able to fight back.

* * *

"So…tell me about yourself," Jeffrey requested of Klaus after they got tired of talking about Sybil and were looking for a new subject. "Do you have any interest in my daughter, sexually or otherwise? What makes you want to watch her for Dorian?"

Klaus shrugged. "I just need to do something to fill up my time. And…are you interrogating me as a prospective son in law? Cause I don't plan on going that way with her."

"You don't?" Jeffrey asked. "Cause I was going to warn you to be careful with her if that was what you were thinking. She's had some complicated relationships before. Her last boyfriend was very territorial."

Klaus shook his head. "Thanks for the information, but like I told you…I don't intend on ever thinking of her that way. She's much too shrewish for my taste. And downright bitchy! I don't need a woman like that." He paused. "Does my thinking of her that way… _bother_ you? Should I be more complimentary?"

"Oh, don't think you need to lie for my sake," Jeffrey assured him. "If she's not your type, she's not your type. That's just how it is."

"I'm so glad you understand," Klaus said. "I mean, it's not to say that I don't find Sybil aesthetically pleasing, but when the personality is bad…it's not worth it, you know?"

"If Sybil's not your type, what is?" Jeffrey questioned.

"Well, my last wife, Amy…she was the good sort," Klaus replied. "The selfless type. I liked that."

"Really?" Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't the first impression that I got from you. You seem like a partier to me."

"I did go through that phase," Klaus agreed. "And would you believe that the woman I spent the most time with during that period was your own demon queen?"

"What?" Jeffrey's jaw dropped. "Really? You're kidding!"

"No," Klaus smiled. "I'm not. She was something in those days. Then she had to go and change. Become good! And it just ruined it! She was better for my goody two shoes brother, anyway!"

"So you want a darker woman, just not Sybil," Jeffrey nodded.

"Of course I don't want a shrew that does nothing but cause me trouble," Klaus nodded. "I have problems of my own. I don't have the temperament to babysit some needy bitch."

* * *

And with that, Sibyl had had enough. Even being locked in her room alone was better than standing here and listening to her character being assassinated, especially when they didn't even try to understand her.

With tears in her eyes, Sibyl ran back to her room and slammed the door closed, leaning against it and then sliding down to sit on the floor, her hands over her eyes being soaked with warm tears.

What they were saying was true. There was no way around that, but it wasn't like she'd decided to be like that on her own. It wasn't as simple as they made it out to be.

She was especially disappointed in her father, because if he didn't think he had anything to do with how she turned out, he was sorely mistaken.

As was the case with a lot of demon families, the idea of a stable family unit was not a common one. Couples could fall in love, get married, have kids, and be together forever, sure. But more often than not, demons would get together, have children, and then move on. You were a lucky kid if your parents even kept in contact about what to do with you after you were born.

Sibyl was not one of those kids. Because her father was an upper level demon and her mother was not, it had been decided almost immediately that he would take custody of her, and her mother didn't have much room to protest. So Sibyl had grown up with her father in the world of demon nobility, but somehow, she'd never felt like one of them. She'd always felt like she had something to prove to her father.

So like he'd told Klaus, when Dorian, who was now and had always been, the leader of the demon world, had shown an interest in her, she'd jumped at it.

To her surprise, he'd turned out to be a very nice man. And he was much better to her than her father had ever been. They'd been together much longer than she expected, and when she'd found out she was pregnant with Eric…that was the best because she'd believed a lofty position in the demon world was assured for her.

But then…she'd screwed it up. They were having a dinner party to celebrate Dorian's friend Rodan. She couldn't remember precisely what the occasion was: his birthday or some work accomplishment, or something like that. The second she'd seen him, she'd been instantly attracted to him. Dorian was nice, but being a political/royal wife wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and his working like he did meant many of her needs went unfulfilled.

They'd both had too much wine and between that and the fact that neither of them had had sex in way too long, it was probably inevitable that a bad choice would be made. And it was a few hours later that Dorian found the two of them in bed together when he came in to change his suit for the next phase of the party.

She'd tried to explain herself, but it was no use. She'd overstepped her boundaries, and, as punishment, she was branded a traitor and put in a prison, only to be let out at Dorian's command.

Since he'd looked so hurt, she had very little hope for being let out, and that was proven right. She gave birth to Eric in her cell and he'd been taken away from her soon after to be raised by Dorian, one of many children.

She'd languished alone in her cell after that, supposedly ruminating on the sin of cheating on the king, but…she plotted her way to get out instead. It didn't take her long to seduce a guard and a judge, and then stride out of prison as if nothing had ever happened.

When Dorian found out, he was livid. He'd thought about killing her, but then decided against it because he didn't want Eric to be a demon with only one parent, which, from the stories Sybil had told him, hadn't turned out well for her. So he let her be as long as she remained under her father's watchful eye. That was one of the big reasons father and daughter were so close: they were each other's way to stay out of trouble.

And Sybil tried to be good, if only for her father's sake, dating men but staying clear of the ones who'd caused the problems, even though some of them were problems themselves. But now that she'd seen Rodan again, she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep that promise anymore. Unless of course, Klaus gave her a better offer. She wasn't sure which one she wanted, but one of them would give her the home and family she always wanted. She was sure of that, at least.


	59. Our Little Game

"Your father is a wonderful man, isn't he?" Klaus remarked when he stopped by to check on Sybil before they both went to bed that night.

"Yeah," Sybil sighed, not looking at him. "He's…he's fine. I'm glad you two got along."

"Am I going to have to tie you up before I go to sleep or can I trust you to stay where you're supposed to?" Klaus questioned.

"Oh, I wouldn't burden you with having to touch me since you find me so repulsive," Sybil spat. "I don't want to talk to you! Just go away!"

"All right, fine," Klaus nodded. "Sleep well."

"Go to hell!" Sybil shouted and threw a pillow at the door. Then Klaus closed it and left her all alone, and that's when she made the decision: she couldn't stay here with a man who thought so ill of her. She deserved better than that. She was going to run away. Or at least she would try. Even if she didn't make it out of the house, she wanted Klaus to know that she wasn't happy here and things needed to change.

Once the plan was made, she had to decided just when to implement it. She knew it couldn't be right away. Klaus would probably suspect that. She would have to throw him off guard first. And she would do that by killing him with kindness.

The following morning, she came down to breakfast and greeted Klaus with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Well," he remarked with a smile. "Someone is in much better spirits today. I'm glad to see that!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry about my bad mood last night," she told him. "It's just that sometimes, my dad can stir up bad feelings in me and that's what happened. But he's gone now, so I'm better. Do you have something to eat? I'd be glad to make it for you."

"Why?" Klaus questioned, starting to feel suspicious. "Why would you want to do that for me?"

"Can't a person do something for someone else without their motives being questioned? Jeez!" Sybil cried.

"Yes, they can," Klaus nodded. "But I can't say I trust you. You understand, right? So I'll decline your offer of breakfast and just have some blood. But of course, if you want to make something for yourself, go ahead. The kitchen is all yours. Just don't burn the house down in the process."

"Give me some credit," Sybil requested. "I'm better with an oven than that." And she proved it after by whipping herself up bacon, eggs, pancakes, a bagel, and fruit, which she ate with gusto as Klaus watched, letting the juice of the apple dribble down her chin.

"Is that supposed to attract me?" Klaus asked as he made a face. "Cause it's not very appealing."

"Not even to the animal in you?" Sibyl questioned in a breathy voice. "Cause you have an animal in you, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you're not gonna see it," Klaus shook his head. "Unless you cause me trouble."

"Oh, and I don't intend to do that anymore," Sybil assured him, getting close enough that her bottom lip touched his top one. "That game is getting a bit old between us, don't you think?"

"Well, it would certainly make things easier on me, that's for sure," Klaus told her, holding her at a distance. "Now eat your food before it gets cold."

"Fine," Sybil huffed. "But you're really not any fun, you know that?"

"Oh, I can be plenty fun," Klaus assured her and got up to go get a blood bag. "You're just terrible at bringing it out at the moment."

"Ah," Sybil smiled, other ideas to bring out his wild side starting to fight for space in her brain. "So are you saying you want me to try something else?"

"You can do whatever you want," Klaus told her. "It's not like I'll be able to stop you anyway."

"Oh, you so want me to try other things," she smiled. "You want me to try other things to rile you up so bad it's not even funny."

"No, I don't!" Klaus shook his head. "I want you to make this easy for me. All your nonsense is beginning to give me a headache. You're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

"Well, don't you worry about that," Sibyl assured him. "I told you that I was gonna be better behaved from now and I am. You'll see."

"Good," Klaus nodded. "I can't wait for that." He then got up and went to get some blood, drinking it as she ate, glutting himself, while she tried her best to keep her breakfast down.

* * *

Because he genuinely didn't believe that Sybil would carry through on her plan to behave herself, Klaus, of course, was very surprised when she did. And that wasn't the worst part. Though she'd initially seemed very fifties housewife with her offer to make him breakfast, that attitude didn't continue. She became cold and distant, stoic. And the only time he saw her was when she came out of her room to eat. The rest of the time, she was holed up there, not wanting to say a word to him.

"I thought that's what you wanted," she remarked when he questioned her about it. "I'm just giving you what you want. I don't want to cause trouble for you. I think that this whole situation will be easier for both of us if we just keep our lives separate, you know? You understand, don't you?"

"I thought I did, but now that you're saying it out loud, it seems much less appealing," Klaus confessed. "Please come out. I'm lonely. I need someone to talk to."

"Are you begging me to spend time with you?" Sybil asked. "This is an interesting change of events."

"I'm not begging," Klaus replied between his teeth. "I'm asking nicely. Please come out!"

"No," Sybil shook her head. "I'm happy right where I am, thank you."

"Can I at least have my alcohol back?" Klaus questioned.

"Dorian told you that's not what he wanted," Sybil reminded him. "He wanted you sober and alert and that's what you'll be."

Klaus chuckled at her certainty. "That really surprises me," he remarked. "I thought you would be eager as hell to get me drunk so you can make your getaway."

"Oh, don't be stupid!" Sybil shook her head. "I already did that once, didn't I? And I don't try the same trick twice."

"You don't?" Klaus asked. "Well, I'll be anxious to see what you try next. And when will you be doing it so I can prepare myself?"

"Oh, I'm not going to tell you," Sybil replied. "Now get out of my room."

"Fine," Klaus replied, slamming her bedroom door so hard that a few of the pictures hanging on the walls fell and landed on the floor.

Then Sybil gave a sigh of relief and began plotting her exit.

* * *

After a week or so of behaving herself, Sybil decided to make a run for it. She woke up in the middle of the night when she was sure Klaus was asleep (she could hear his snoring clearly even though his room was far away from hers), and made her way quickly and carefully through the dark house, only stopping once when she accidentally let out a shriek after stubbing her toe. She then froze, hoping with all her might that he wouldn't wake up, that she wouldn't hear his footsteps thundering down the stairs. But it remained silent. She stepped more carefully, then let out a silent cheer when she put her hand on the cold doorknob. She opened the door, then a hand reached out and shut it, then knocked her out and tied a gag around her mouth before picking her up. "And just where do you think _you're_ going?" Klaus whispered.

Since she was out cold, of course Sibyl couldn't respond to the question. Klaus kept her unconscious until he had her back in her room, and then, when she was in her bed and restrained, he finally let her talk. "Just what do you think you're doing?" He asked, shaking her violently. "Tell me!"

Her eyes widened and her breathing picked up. He could hear her heart pounding. She shook her head and tried to get away, but he held her fast and gave her a good hard slap. "Talk to me!" He roared. "Why the hell won't you talk to me?"

"Stop!" She finally got out, tears running down her cheeks. "Klaus, please stop, you're hurting me!" She dissolved into tears, something that filled Klaus with shock. He didn't expect her to cry like this. She didn't think she was capable of it. He stared at her shaking, sobbing form for several seconds, unsure of what to do before gingerly reaching out and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, letting her rest her head on his shoulder and even get her tears on his shirt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Well…I did, but I had no idea it would affect you this much." He waited until she was able to sit up and then wiped her tears off her cheeks. "Would you like to talk about it? You don't have to if you don't want to, but…it could help."

"No, thanks," Sibyl shook her head. "You don't want to hear my problems. I bet they won't matter to you." She paused. "It's just that…for a second there, you reminded me of one of my old boyfriends. He used to…he used to like to kick me around. He would get mad and take it out on me. I wouldn't have put up with it, but I was lonely and desperate for company.

"He would not! I can't believe he hurt you!" Klaus cried, suddenly feeling bad about his loss of temper. He'd thought it was just part of their game, but apparently not. "Where is he? Would you like me to kill him for you? Because I will!"

"Thanks," Sibyl sniffed. "But I don't know where he is. It was so long ago and after I got away from him, I tried to do everything I could to forget. You're the first person I've told since Daddy. And I even wish I wouldn't have told him."

"I'm sorry," Klaus told her, his voice subdued. "I didn't mean to lose my temper. I thought…I thought your running off was just part of our little game. I like our little game. I've missed it."

"Me too," Sybil admitted. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "Do you…would you like to be alone? Cause I would be more than happy to…to keep you company. Just for tonight, though."

"You don't have to," Sibyl assured him. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"You wouldn't be," Klaus told her. "I'm offering. It's my pleasure."

"All right," Sibyl nodded after giving him a long look. "But sleep is all we're doing, okay?" Nothing else." She lay down on her side, facing him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Klaus replied, positioning himself the same way, but leaving a few inches in between them on the mattress. He watched her eyes close and listened to her breathing become steady, and when she'd fallen asleep, he reached out and pulled her close to himself.

They wouldn't be like this in the morning when Sybil awoke, but for now…this was good for now.


	60. Changing Her Habits

When Klaus woke up the next morning, it was Sybil's spot on the bed that was empty, and she was standing at the foot in one of his t-shirts, her arms were crossed, and she had a sour look on her face.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. "Isn't it a bit early in the morning to be mad at me? I haven't done anything yet!"

"And that's the problem!" Sybil shouted. "I was dressed when I woke up this morning and I didn't like it. I expected something else from you."

"You told me you just wanted to sleep!" Klaus defended himself. "Did you want me to ignore that?"

"Did you ignore me because you think I'm ugly and bitchy and shrewish like you told my father?" Sybil yelled, her voice becoming shrill. "If that's the reason, just tell me!"

"How do you know I said that?" Klaus questioned, his cheeks flushing a little.

"I heard you talking to my dad," Sybil snapped. "I listened to your conversation when I was supposed to be in my room. So tell me…did you mean it? Or were you just showing off to my father and trying to get on his good side?" She removed the shirt, showing she was wearing nothing underneath it. "Cause you can say what you want about my personality, but you _definitely_ can't call me ugly."

"No," Klaus shook his head, feeling a bit stunned. "No, I guess you can't."

"Are you just gonna sit there looking, or are we actually gonna do something?" Sybil cried.

"It's the first thing in the morning! Klaus reminded her. "I'm not at my most alert. Give me time to adjust."

"You better not need a long time," Sibyl replied, eyes narrowed as she came around the bed and began tugging at his shirt. "You make me wait too long and I'll rip your clothes off myself."

Klaus chuckled. "Well, that doesn't give me much incentive to hurry, does it?" He asked. Then he sat still with a smile on his face, watching her get angrier and angrier, her cheeks twitching, her hands balling into fists.

"Oh, this isn't funny!" She cried and ripped it off, sending buttons flying as it landed in a heap on the other side of the bed. "Why you couldn't have just slept naked last night, I have no idea. It would have made this so much easier."

"If it makes you feel better, I usually _do_ sleep naked," Klaus informed her. "But you were so vulnerable last night, I didn't want you to feel like I was taking advantage."

Sibyl paused running her hands over his bare chest and said, "Well, it's nice to know that you have gentlemanly impulses, but I don't want to see them, all right?"

"Okay," Klaus nodded, slipping off his pants and socks and then, when he was naked too, taking her in his arms and setting her underneath him on the mattress and kissing down her chest. "No gentlemanly behavior. I understand." Since she seemed impatient, he decided to mostly skip foreplay except putting his lips everywhere on her that he could. By the time he was done, she was warm and panting and very aroused.

"You're a quick learner," she breathed. "I have to tell you that. You're not gonna stop now, are you?"

"Oh, no," Klaus shook his head, burying himself inside her and thrusting repeatedly as she screamed. "I wouldn't dare."

"Good," Sybil remarked and kissed him as her fingers threaded through his curly hair. "Yes, good. I like it."

* * *

When they were both exhausted and lying on the bed next to each other, it finally hit them what they had just done.

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Klaus asked. "I have a feeling something like this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Why not?" Sybil questioned and put an arm around him. "Dorian wanted you to keep an eye on me and this is a good way to do it, right? If we're fucking, you know where I am."

"True, but I know you," Klaus said. "Don't tell me that you won't take advantage of our relationship being this way, cause I won't believe you."

"Fine, I won't tell you that," Sibyl assured him. "Even though it's true."

"Why?" Klaus questioned. "What made you change your mind?"

"Cause I think…even if you don't want to say it to my face…you care about me," Sybil guessed. "When I freaked out last night, you actually listened. You cared. You knew when to stop. If you hadn't reacted the way you did, I'd still want to run, but…since you let your guard down and showed you care, I think I want to give you a break. But just keep this between us, though. I have a reputation to keep. I can't let people know yet that I've actually decided to let a man have a part of me."

"All right," Klaus kissed her again. "You seem sincere, so…it'll be our little secret."

"Thank you," Sibyl smiled as her stomach growled. "You wanna go have breakfast before getting ready for round two? Or are you too tired?"

"Oh, I'm never too tired," Klaus assured her. "I recover fast. But I wouldn't say no to breakfast."

"Good," Sybil smiled and zapped it in as they both sat up in bed. "That's a good answer."

* * *

"I want to ask you a question about Klaus," Dorian requested of Selina when they met for lunch later in the day. "Do you think…do you think I made a good choice leaving Sybil with him? Do you think he's dependable? Do you think he's responsible? Or will he just let me down?"

"Well, are you paying him well?" Selina questioned, reaching across the table to run her fingers through Dorian's dark hair. "If you're paying him well, I don't think there should be a problem."

"Yes, but he already let her get him drunk once so she could escape!" Dorian reminded her. "That should have been a warning to me! She's really sneaky!"

"Yeah, well, so's he!" Selina said. "Have Elijah tell you stories about how much crap he's pulled over the last thousand years and you'll be impressed. I really do think that once Klaus gets used to how she is that there won't be a problem. It seems like the two of them are male and female versions of each other, so you should be all right."

"You think?" Dorian asked, kissing her palm.

"Yes," Selina assured him with a smile. "I do."

"Now with that under control, I can focus on other things like what to do about AnnaLynne and how to handle this silly succession mess."

"Why do you need to figure out something to do with AnnaLynne?" Selina questioned. "Isn't the fact that she's watching the troublesome demons enough?"

"I have enough people watching the troublesome demons now," Dorian replied. "AnnaLynne's been working hard. I think I might suggest she go to Europe and have a break. See the sights. It could be good for her. And she could do something else for me while she's there that would be a big help."

"What do you need her to do for you?" Selina questioned and poked at her salad. "Is it something I should know about?"

"Yes," Dorian nodded. "I don't know if it's anything to truly worry about yet, but I've heard unconfirmed reports of Amazons showing up in Greece. If it's true, we need to start preparing ourselves."

"Why?" Selina questioned. "Are Amazons bad?" Truth be told, during her darker periods, she'd especially envied the supposedly mythical race of women who didn't need men except for breeding purposes and just happened to be awesome fighters. But apparently, they weren't what she thought.

"Yes, Amazons are bad," Dorian nodded. "They're our worst threat!"

"Why?" Selina wanted to know.

"I'll tell you later," Dorian replied. "Now, what do you think we should do about the succession? That's an easier problem to solve."

"Well, if you and Rodin can't come to some agreement about who should rule and you don't want Sybil to try and rule over everything through Eric…why don't you just ask your council of demons who they want to rule next?" Selina suggested. "That could be a good solution."

"Yeah," Dorian nodded. "It just might be. Thanks."

Oh, no problem," Selina smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

* * *

Even though his and Sybil's first time had been good…really, _really_ good, it still felt kind of odd to know that he was in a relationship with her…if they wanted to assign labels to it or anything, which she might not and he was fine with that.

To deal with the shock that was slow to wear off, Klaus called AnnaLynne. "How are you?" He asked her.

"I'm doing fine," AnnaLynne said. "Dad wants me to stop moping, so he's suggesting I go to Europe for a bit to clear my head and do some work for him. What about you? Things going well with Sybil?"

"Yes," Klaus assured her. "We…we had sex the other day."

"Well…good for you," AnnaLynne told him. "I knew it would happen sometime. I'm glad for you."

"I'm so pleased you're okay with this," Klaus told her. "I thought you would be mad. Things ended kind of abruptly between us."

"I know, but…maybe that was for the best," AnnaLynne said. "I wish you the best of luck with her, and we can still be friends, right?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "Of course. It's so rarely that I make true friends. I can't afford to throw them away."

"Well…well thank you," AnnaLynne said in surprise, cause she hadn't expected such a heartfelt expression of gratitude from him. "I'm glad I could help. Anything else you need to tell me?"

"Not on my end," Klaus replied. "Anything else you'd like to tell _me_? Have you ever been to Europe before? It's really a wonderful place."

"Yes," AnnaLynne agreed. "I've heard good things. And I'll remember to get you a present. You want anything?"

"Sure," Klaus replied. "Surprise me!"

"I will!" AnnaLynne told him. "But it'll be a good present, I swear."

Klaus then saw Sybil come in the room out of the corner of his eye. "I gotta go now. Nice talking to you and we'll do it again after you get back from Europe."

"Sybil just came in, didn't she?" AnnaLynne questioned dryly.

"Yes, she did," Klaus confirmed.

"All right, good luck," AnnaLynne said. "Bye."

Klaus hung up as Sybil came up behind him and put her arms around his waist, toying with his belt buckle and trying to undo his belt.

"Who were you talking to?" She asked.

"Just AnnaLynne," Klaus said. "We've decided to stay friends and you better not have a problem with that."

"Well, I won't if I don't think I have anything to worry about," Sybil said. "Do I?"

"Not if I don't have anything to worry about with Dorian or Rodan or any other man," Klaus countered. "If you expect me to be exclusive with you, you have to return the favor and I know that's not your best thing."

"Well, I admit it wasn't before," Sybil nodded, her hand creeping under the waistband of his jeans after she got his belt undone. "But based on what I've seen of you, I'd be willing to change my habits."

"I would hope so," Klaus replied, pulling her close and kissing her deeply as his hand slid under her skirt and into her panties to give her a good rub. "I really do."


	61. We Do It Together

"Does it feel weird that we're getting along to you?" Sibyl questioned Klaus.

"No, I don't think it's weird," Klaus shook his head. "It actually eases my mind cause it'll make it less likely you'll run off. It's a good thing." He paused, eyebrow raised. "If you don't want us to get along, if you would like me to be cruel to you, I'd be happy to oblige, though."

"No, no," Sibyl shook her head. "I like nice. Nice is good."

"That's what I hoped you would say," Klaus replied. "Now, I'm gonna go take a shower. Would you like to join me?"

Sibyl shrugged. "Well…okay. I guess you're good looking enough." She grinned evilly and gave him a push. "Last one to the bathroom has to undress first!"

"Fine with me," Klaus remarked, zipping to the bathroom and standing in front of the running shower, much to Sybil's shock, with a smirk on his face. "All right," he told her. "I'm waiting."

"How the hell did you do that?" She pouted and crossed her arms. "This isn't fair! You're a cheater!"

"I'm just using the skills I have," Klaus reached out and pinched her cheek. "It's not my fault you don't have them too. You could have zapped yourself in here. Can't demons do that? Why didn't it occur to you to use your own powers?"

"Well…just shut up, okay?" Sybil spat. She then stood her ground, refusing to undress. "If you cheat, the deal is null and void."

"Would you rather I undressed you myself?" Klaus asked after giving her a spanking. "Cause I will."

"Go ahead!" Sybil nodded. "It's the only way you'll see me naked today!" But she had a twinkle in her eye so Klaus knew that this was all part of her plan.

He leaned forward, kissed her, and then slowly but surely, piece by piece, helped her undress, and she did the same with him, pausing before they stepped in the shower to run his hands over her body.

"We better get under the spray," she whispered. "That water's been running for a while."

So they got in the shower and agreed that if she would wash him, he would wash her.

As she worked the shampoo into his scalp, Klaus quickly realized that he found her touch soothing and gentle, like a massage. He was very surprised that she wasn't trying to hurt him.

"That feels good," he remarked. "I can't wait to be massaged other places."

Sybil snorted. "Oh, I just bet you can't," she said. She finished with the shampoo and the conditioner and then, shutting her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the smirk on his face, began washing him off with a loofah, although hearing all his pleasurable moans was reaction enough.

When she was sure she'd gotten soap everywhere, she grabbed the shower spray attachment and hosed him off none too gently

"You really enjoyed that, didn't you?" He asked, sputtering and spitting water.

"Yeah," Sybil giggled. "I did. It was funny."

"You would think it was," Klaus replied, his eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you gonna wash me off now?" Sybil asked innocently.

"Oh, yes," Klaus nodded. "That's what I promised, isn't it?"

Sybil gulped because the tone of his voice was menacing, and even echoed a bit off the walls off the bathroom. And anything said in that tone never ended well. "Fine," she got out. "Just don't hurt me, okay?"

"I would never hurt you, Sybil," Klaus told her, his tone firm, his voice sincere. "I might do things that will drive you crazy with desire, but I would _never_ hurt you."

"Good," Sybil replied, bracing herself against the shower wall and handing him the shampoo bottle. "This is so much more relaxing when we do it in the bath, don't you think?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded as he worked the soap through her hair and massaged her scalp. "That's something we'll have to remember for next time." His resolve about this became even stronger when he realized all the ways he had to bend to wash her body and not miss a spot. "How did you make this look so simple?" He asked in amazement. "At least I know one spot that will be easy." He smiled as he rubbed a warm wash cloth between her legs. "Good?" he asked in a whisper, his lips against her earlobe.

"Oh, yes," she nodded, her hands over her head and her eyes closed. " _Very_ good."

* * *

"You have someone wanting to see you," Jim told Dorian.

"Is it Selina?" Dorian asked. "Send her in."

"It's not her," Jim shook his head and stepped aside to let Arthur enter the office with Lily on his heels. "It's him. All right, I'm gonna go now. Let me know if you need anything."

"What are you two doing here?" Dorian asked, rising from his desk. "You're supposed to be in school."

"I know. We decided to ditch it today and we know we're gonna get an earful from both sides, but…I need you to tell me that that Sybil lady isn't gonna try and overthrow us. I need to be assured of that," Arthur requested as Lily squeezed his hand and rested her red head on his shoulder. "Please."

Dorian smiled. "Well, I'm very pleased you're concerned. It's nice to know you care." He paused. "I can assure you that Sibyl is otherwise occupied at the moment. And as for the demon council, they're just as concerned as the rest of us about there being a power grab between you, Josh, and Eric, so we're doing the best we can to find a solution. It'll be all right, I promise."

"That's what I've been telling him," Lily informed Dorian.

"Thank you," Dorian smiled at her and came around his desk to give her a hug. "I appreciate that."

"No problem," Lily replied. "I know this is tough for everyone. But Selina seems to be handling it well."

"Has she really?" Dorian questioned. "I've wondered since I haven't been around to see." He locked eyes with Arthur. "If she ever shows signs of worry while you're at school, please look out for her for me," he requested of his son.

"I'll try, but I really don't think that's necessary," Arthur told him. "When we say she's coping well, we mean it. Sure, she was worried about Sybil, but like you said, she's not a threat anymore." He paused. "Can we sit down, please?"

"Oh, of course," Dorian nodded. "And your mother would probably insist I offer you coffee or something. Would you like some?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind some," Lily replied with a smile and took a seat in the chair across from his desk. "You know, Dad likes it black, but I've never liked it that way. Do you have milk?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Dorian nodded, pulling out a small carton of milk and putting some in her coffee before pushing it over to Lily. "Arthur? You?"

"No, thanks," Arthur shook his head. "I'm more of a soda person."

"How are your parents?" Arthur asked Lily. "Good?"

"Yes," Lily nodded. "Good enough. Dad keeps asking when Arthur and I are gonna get married of course, which he would _not_ do if someone didn't feel the need to be so demonstrative all the time."

"Hey, if loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right," Arthur defended himself.

"I know," Lily kissed him. "I like it. Don't worry."

"Thanks," Arthur replied. "That's a relief." He paused and then leaned across the table to talk to Dorian again. "I know you're all more worried about Sybil now, but what about Rodan? Why do you think he's not a threat to me?"

"Because when he was, when he was trying to destroy me, it was because we were still reeling about how Sybil's involvement with both of us tore us apart," Dorian explained. "But now…now we're starting to make peace, and even though I'm positive he won't be entirely happy unless he gets his own way and either Josh or Christian controls everything, I am very confident that we are at a point where he will at least grudgingly agree to whatever solution is put forth to keep our whole world stable and intact. I wonder when he's going to tell Josh about all this. I know they don't talk very much. I hope he doesn't wait too long."

* * *

"Dad!" Josh cried, blocking Rodan's view of Sarah and urging to her to take Ellie to her room in case Rodan was thinking about causing trouble as his father and Katherine charged through the door, concerned looks on their faces. "I would ask what you're doing here, but that look usually means one conversation. How many times are you going to tell me that before you realize I'm not gonna turn into whatever it is that you want me to be?"

"I've actually accepted that," Rodan told him. "And it might be to your benefit."

"The demon council is thinking about having you rule them!" Katherine blurted as Rodan gave her a glare.

"I wanted to be the one to say that," he huffed.

"You did?" Katherine feigned innocence. "I had no idea."

"Is she telling the truth?" Josh questioned his father. "The demon council wants me to rule? Why?"

"Cause you have a good head on your shoulders," Rodan said. "Between you and Arthur, you could make things work out."

"They want me to share ruling with Arthur?" Josh questioned. "Are you okay with that?"

"Well, no," Rodan huffed. "But it's the way it's gonna go."

"He's finally admitted it," Katherine grinned and wiped a pretend tear off her cheek. "I'm so proud of him."

"And do we have to kill Dorian for this to happen?" Josh asked. "Cause I won't do that."

"Talk to Sarah," Rodan got out. "See what she thinks. "And no, you don't have to kill Dorian. It's all just planning for the future, deciding who will rule after he's gone."

"So it's decided Arthur and I will rule together?" Josh questioned.

"No, it's not," Rodan shook his head. "Not yet. They're going to throw some big celebratory ball and announce the decision then."

"All right," Josh sighed, starting to feel nervous. "Thanks for letting us know."

"You're welcome," Katherine told him. "I know this is a lot to process. Would you like us to stay?"

"Well, if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Ellie while Sarah and I talk this over…I think it would be appreciated," Josh told her. "Thanks."

"You really love that girl, don't you?" Rodan asked him.

"Yes," Josh nodded. "And I already know that makes me weak and a wuss and a bunch of other unflattering things. I've heard it all before. You don't have to repeat it."

"I wasn't planning to," Rodan shook his head. "And I…I don't think I ever will again. I was wrong about you, Josh. Sure your personality isn't ideal for that of a demon, but…maybe it'll serve you better than I thought on the road to possible governance."

"Here's hoping if that's what they want me for," Josh remarked. "Thanks, Dad." He then headed off to go see Sarah.

"Oh, thank god you're all right," she said, hopping up from the bed at the sight of him and giving him Ellie. "What did your father want? Is everything okay?"

"It's fine," Josh nodded. "Apparently, the demon council is pondering having me rule over everyone with Arthur after Dorian passes away. It's not for certain. They're gonna announce it at some ball or something. But I wanted you to know before I accepted anything."

"Of course you should accept the position if they give it to you!" Sarah nodded. "I think it would be great! I think it would allow you to do a lot of good! You have so much potential!"

"Thanks, but don't get too excited," Josh flushed. "Nothing is set in stone yet."

"True," Sarah nodded. "But I don't see why they would do anything other than have you and Arthur work together. It's a perfect solution. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah," Josh nodded, still a little uncertain about his ability to lead, but becoming less nervous by the minute. "I guess so. I just didn't want you to feel like this was getting in the way of anything."

"Oh, it's not," Sarah shook her head. "I think it's exciting!"

"But what about Ellie?" Josh asked, ruffling the little girl's hair. "I don't want this to have a bad effect on her."

"I don't think it will," Sarah shook her head. "Ellie's a very resilient kid, and she loves attention."

"Well, I can't deny that." Josh nodded. "All right. Let's go tell Dad that whatever the council decides, we're all for it."

"Yes," Sarah smiled and put Ellie on her feet so she could walk to the living room with her parents holding her hands. "Yes, we are."


	62. Looking Sharp

"I'm gonna admit right now that I'm really nervous about this ball thing," Selina remarked to Dorian. "What if something terrible happens, like at our wedding? It would be the perfect time."

Dorian put a hand on her shoulder. "I understand why you're nervous, but all the stuff at our wedding happened when Sybil was out running loose and now she's not. I mean, she's gonna be there, but Klaus will have an eye on her. He won't let her get away with anything."

"I should hope not," Selina nodded.

"If you're still nervous about her, you can tell me," Dorian encouraged. "I can get you extra guards if you like."

"Thanks, but I'm not nervous," Selina shook her head. "I just wish all this wasn't so complicated. Since Arthur is your son, why can't he just inherit and that's the end of things? Why does anyone else have to have consideration?"

"It's about keeping stability and peace," Dorian told her. "I know it's frustrating, but from what I hear, Arthur will most likely still get to rule."

" _Most likely_?" Selina repeated, eyes wide. "I will not feel at ease about this until I know that he'll get to rule for certain. I hate the idea that we've given him hope for a specific life path as long as he's breathed and it could soon be taken away from him, just as he's beginning to care about it and count on it."

"Is this entirely about Arthur?" Dorian questioned.

"Yes, it is!" Selina nodded. "Who else would it be about? It's just…very nerve-wracking waiting for it all to end. It reminds me of why I don't like edge of your seat suspense movies." She paused. "And are you sure Sibyl is being closely guarded?"

Dorian gave her a hug. "I am _so_ sorry that you're so in the dark about this. I should have kept you up to speed."

"Damn right you should have!" Selina held him at arms' length. "I thought that when we got married, we would be partners in all this and you wouldn't see me solely as the person who has your babies! Was I wrong? Cause it sure as hell seems like it."

Dorian sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I've been so bogged down and busy that I forgot I could ask for help or that you should at least know what was going on."

"So do you have notes or reports from the demon council's meetings that I could look at?" Selina asked. "Please?"

"All right," Dorian nodded, taking her hand and leading her into his office, where she took a seat on the other side of the desk and watched him rifle through drawers before pulling out a large stack of paper and pushing it in her direction. "There are all the notes," he told her. "Take your time reading them over. They're my copies; I don't have to return them or anything."

"Good," Selina nodded and began leafing through the first few pages at the top of the pile. "I'll start reading these and then I'll show you the dress I got. I think you'll like it."

"Of course I will," Dorian smiled and leaned forward to kiss her. "You _always_ look beautiful." He paused. "Does your mother know you're going to a ball?" He asked.

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded, thinking of the dark red, off the shoulder ball gown with the wide skirt that her mother had been over the moon to purchase for her. "She was so excited. And like a little girl. It was adorable. And if you want to match, is a red accented outfit all right?"

"Yes," Dorian nodded. "I love red. So you read what you will of those files, and then when you're done with them, just leave them on top of the desk. Or you can set them underneath it. It doesn't matter as long as they're in plain sight."

"Can I have copies of my own?" Selina questioned.

"Sure," Dorian nodded. "I'll go tell Jim to get right on that."

"He doesn't have to now," Selina replied quickly. "I just want my own copies at some point."

And you shall have them," Dorian promised, standing in the doorway. "Can't wait to see your dress."

Selina rose and smiled. "And I can't wait to show you my dress," she replied.

* * *

"What do you know about this ball thing?" Sybil demanded of Klaus, waving the invitation under his nose.

"Oh, that?" Klaus shrugged. "I thought it would be fun to go to. Would you like to go with me?"

"No!" Sybil shook her head. "Cause I'm not an idiot! I know this is some sort of sting to catch me and take me back to prison! How dare you? I thought we were getting along!"

"We are!" Klaus assured her. "This ball is not some sort of sting! It's just a chance for you to go out and see people with me. Unless you'd prefer to remain here and holed up like you have been."

Sibyl crossed her arms. "Give me one good reason why I should go," she insisted. "I need encouragement."

"How about bribery?" Klaus asked with a smile. "Are you too moral for that?"

"Go on," Sibyl replied, intrigued in spite of herself. "What do you have for me?"

"Just a second," Klaus smiled and ran to his room to pull a dress bag out of the closet. "Here," he said when he returned. "Look at this."

"Oh, this is for _me_?" Sybil asked. "I saw a dress bag on your side of the closet and I wondered. That eases my mind."

She opened the dress bag and was really surprised by what she pulled out: a very ladylike dress with a sparky silver bodice and a wide, flowing white skirt made of delicate material, along with gorgeous silver and pearl earrings and silver shoes. "Wow, this is all beautiful," she breathed. "It wasn't what I was expecting. Th-thank you."

"You thought I was going to get you something sexier, right?" Klaus asked knowingly. "Something that could easily be slid off in the confines of a broom closet?"

"Well, yeah," Sibyl nodded. "Pardon me for saying so, but you really don't seem the type to have patience for dancing."

"Oh, on the contrary," Klaus said. "I've been to many balls over the centuries and I find them very entertaining. I fancy myself quite the dancer."

"Do you?" Sybil questioned and laid the dress, jewelry, and shoes on the couch. "Show me. I need proof. I'm not gonna have fun if it turns out you lied to me and end up stepping on my toes all night."

"Well, all right," Klaus nodded, going to get a record and the record player. "I think it's silly you need proof at all, but if that's what it takes for you to trust me, that's what I'll give you."

Together, they set up the player, and as the sound of "Waltz of the Flowers" filled the room, they began to waltz, and much to Sibyl's surprise, as they moved around the room, she was the one who was stepping on Klaus' toes.

"Sorry," she said over and over, not even able to think about the fact that he was holding her so close and that it was making her tingle. "I didn't mean to. Sorry. Sorry. I'm really rusty."

"It's fine," Klaus told her. "Just keep an eye on your feet."

"Good thing we're practicing this now, huh?" Sibyl remarked. "Then I won't look like a fool."

"Well, I know you'll try your best not to anyway," Klaus replied and let out a grunt as she stepped on his toes again. "Okay, this isn't working. Go sit on the couch and I'll show you what you're supposed to do."

"You even know the girl parts?" Sybil asked.

"Yeah!" Klaus nodded. "I could waltz with myself if I had to."

"All right, let's see it," Sybil nodded and zapped up another Klaus in a dress. "Show me both parts. This should be fun."

"I can't believe this," Klaus sighed as Sybil started the record up again and, with a smile on her lips, watched Klaus do a waltz with himself so that she would know what she was doing come the night of the ball.

* * *

"What are you two doing?" Josh asked when he found Sarah and Ellie standing in front of the mirror in their bathroom wearing dresses.

"We're playing Ball," Sarah told him. "It's the only way I'm really gonna feel comfortable wearing a fancy dress for the party." She paused. "What about you? Do you need the practice?"

"Well…no," Josh shook his head. "And I…you look wonderful!"

"Thank you," Sarah blushed. She wore a short blue dress with a poofy skirt that stopped mid-thigh topped with a white bodice covered in blue flower cutout designs. "Does it really look good? I'm not sure."

"Yes, you look great," Josh assured her and gave her a hug. "I just…I'm stunned."

"Me?" Ellie questioned. She was wearing a white dress that was obviously too big for her, a floppy straw hat with a giant blue flower, and attempting to toddle around in red heels.

"You look lovely too, Ellie Bean," Josh kissed the top of her head, picking her up to hold her so that her shoes fell off her tiny feet and clattered on the floor. "It's a shame you're too little to come to the ball with us. You would amaze everyone."

"Oh, but my parents are taking her camping," Sarah reached out and ruffled Ellie's dark hair. "She'll have a good time. I bet she won't even notice we're gone." She then looked Josh in the eye. "And when are you going to let me see you in your tux?"

"You will," Josh assured her, just as nervous to let her see him dressed nice as she was for him to see her. "Just give me a minute."

They left the bathroom and headed to the bedroom. Sarah zapped herself back into her casual clothes and sat on their bed with Ellie on her lap, full of anticipation.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Daddy, Ellie Bean!" Sarah enthused and hugged her daughter. "He's going to be so _handsome_!"

They watched the closed bathroom door for several minutes, waiting for him to come out, until finally, Sarah stood up and went to tap on it. "Everything all right in there?" She called. "Do you need help? Are you staring at yourself? What's going on? Speak to me!"

"I'm all right," Josh told her. "But I don't know if I want you to see me just yet. I look so good that it's kind of embarrassing."

"And that's supposed to deter me?" Sarah responded. "You open this door right now!"

But the door stayed closed until Sarah started to open it and Josh pulled from the other side, making Sarah fall into his arms, her face landing right in his white shirt. "Sorry," she apologized as he grinned down at her. "Now let's have a look at you." She stepped back and her jaw dropped, as did Ellie's.

"Who that?" Ellie asked, looking confused.

"That's Daddy," Sarah smiled and reached over to run her hand down the sleeve of his dark blue tuxedo. "I told you he would look good."

"Pretty," Ellie nodded and reached out admittedly grubby fingers toward Josh.

"No, no," Sarah shook her head. "You're dirty right now and we don't want to mess up Daddy's nice clothes. We'll give you a bath and then you can play with him, okay?"

Then Ellie's face crumpled and she began to cry, so Josh quickly changed out of his tux and took her to calm her down. "It's okay," he soothed her. "I'll give you your bath."

Ellie smiled and he wiped the tears off her cheeks. "There," he grinned back as they and Sarah made their way toward the bathroom. "That's much better."


	63. The Demons' Ball

Gwen looked at the clock and nodded, grabbing the pearl colored clutch purse that went with her dress. It was almost time to leave for the ball. She made her way toward the door, pausing in front of the hall mirror to look over her dress with its wide black skirt and white lace bodice with a low cut neckline. She smiled and pushed her hair out of her eyes before making her way to her car, trying to get the door open. She told Jeffrey she would meet him there.

But the door wouldn't open and she quickly became impatient, cursing under her breath and breaking a nail.

"Need some help?" Jeffrey's voice came from the other side of the car. "I told you that I would pick you up."

Gwen's breath caught in her throat as he came around to stand next to her and put his arm around her waist. He was wearing a simple but elegant tuxedo and black bow tie.

"How do I look?" He grinned. "Good?"

"Well, I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with you," Gwen conceded, looking quickly and then turning her attention back to the car window. "That's all I'm going to say."

"That's all I need," Jeffrey told her, led her to his car, and opened the passenger door. "That's enough. Do you want to fix your nail before we go?"

"I can do it once I get seated," Gwen told him. "There's no need for us to be delayed more than we need to be."

"Oh, so you're excited for this and want it to begin," Jeffrey smiled. "Me too."

"That's not exactly what I meant, but I can't stop you from thinking it," Gwen replied as he let her in the car.

"Oh, come on!" Jeffrey gave her a smile as he shut the car door and grabbed the wheel. "You look great, I look great. We're gonna have a good time tonight. Don't let a bad attitude ruin it. Try to keep an open mind."

"I prefer to be pessimistic," Gwen responded as she fluffed up her already fluffy blonde hair, grateful that Rebecca hadn't been able to show up tonight and take pictures of her and Jeffrey like they were teenagers going to a prom. "Then, I'm either not disappointed, or pleasantly surprised, and if it's the latter, I will admit it and thank you. I just don't want to get too excited too early."

"I guess I'll be eagerly waiting for your apology then," Jeffrey remarked, his dark eyes twinkling as he refused to let her attitude get him down. "Cause I have a very strong feeling that I'm going to get one."

When they reached the hotel where the ball was being held, Gwen let Jeffrey open the door for her and take her hand to help her out of the car. "Thank you," she said in a monotone voice.

"No problem," Jeffrey replied and kissed the back of her hand. "I wouldn't want to put these lovely hands through any more than they've already been through."

"Oh, stop!" Gwen snatched her hand out of his grip. "I want to make it clear to you that we don't have to do every dance together. I only agreed to come with you because I didn't want to go alone and I didn't know anyone else who would take me. I'm sure I'll find someone better as the ball goes on and relieve you of having to be my pity date."

"I don't think you're a pity date," Jeffrey told her. "I think you're interesting. And pretty."

"Thanks, but compliments are unnecessary," Gwen informed him. "Let's just go inside, all right?"

"You want my jacket?" Jeffrey offered. "I don't want you to get cold."

"All right," Gwen accepted. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Jeffrey responded and offered her his arm.

* * *

When they got inside, although she tried her hardest not to show it, Gwen was amazed by the lights and the decorations and the colors as couples in a rainbow of outfits swirled around the dance floor.

"Do we dance now?" She asked as Jeffrey removed his jacket from her shoulders and put it on himself.

"No, we should probably greet our hosts first," Jeffrey said and led her over to the receiving line where Selina and Dorian were greeting everyone coming in. He was quick to notice that Selina was hopping up and down a little to keep her blood flow moving. "I can see this is wearing thin on you," he remarked and shook her hand.

"I like meeting people, don't get me wrong," Selina smiled. "But the standing…oh, _god_. How am I supposed to dance after I've been standing this long?" She looked at Dorian. "Can I have a chair? Or is that against the rules?"

"I'll go find you a chair, mom," Arthur offered and he and Lily, who was wearing a peach dress with a layered, frilly skirt to go with his peach vest and tie, went and did just that. They came back a few minutes later and Selina let out a sigh of relief as she sat down for a minute or two and then stood up again. "Keep that nearby, please," she told Jeannette, who stood behind her. "I might need it."

"No problem," Jeannette smiled and dragged the chair back several feet.

"Hey, Gwen!" Selina waved and urged Gwen and Jeffrey forward. "Nice to see you haven't let the grass grow under your feet since Mikael had his little accident."

"Well, you can't dwell forever," Gwen shrugged. "This is Jeffrey."

"Yes, I've heard of him," Selina smiled and held out her hand. "You two look wonderful."

"You do too," Gwen said as she looked over her and Dorian. "It's so fortunate that red's a good color on you both."

When Jeffrey and Dorian caught each other's eyes, they shared a long look and a quick hand shake before he quickly pulled Gwen away to the snack table and then a dance.

"What was that about?" Selina whispered to Dorian.

"That's Sibyl's father," Dorian whispered back. "Do I need to explain anymore?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I'm good."

After everyone had been greeted, Dorian went to see Eric, who was talking with Sophia on the side of the ballroom. "Not really feeling like dancing, you two?" He asked, his eyes catching their matching purple dress and tie and vest. "Cause you look ready for it."

"Sorry," Eric apologized. "We'll get with the program soon. We just don't feel like it now."

"Why?" Dorian asked, and met Sophia's eyes. "Is something bad gonna happen here tonight? Has your mother said anything?"

"Not that I know of," Sophia shook her head. "As long as you do your best to get along with Rodan and Jeffrey, I mean."

"And I will," Dorian assured her. "Don't worry about that."

Sophia smiled. "Well, then, you should be fine." She pointed. "But you can ask her yourself if you need more certainty. She and Dad are over there."

Christian and Jill were dancing with Josh and Sarah. All four were smiling and as the song changed and the tempo picked up, they even did a move where Sarah spun into Christian's arms and Jill spun into Josh's. Both couples were wearing blue dresses and tuxes so it seemed like some sort of well-choreographed musical number.

"They look like they're having a good time," Dorian smiled when everyone paused to watch. "I don't want to bother them." He then turned and found himself face to face with Klaus.

"Here we are," He said, indicating himself and Sybil. "You said that it was okay for us to come, right?"

"Of course," Dorian nodded. "It's good for her to get out of the house. But one thing: whatever they announce as far as who gets to rule next, make sure she doesn't make a scene."

"Okay," Klaus looked at Sybil, who was openly glaring at Dorian as if she wanted to cut him in half. "You're not supposed to make a scene when they announce who's ruling next. Do you think you can restrain yourself?"

"Yes," Sybil hissed at Dorian. "I think I can."

"Well, I'm sorry, but can you really blame me for being concerned?" Dorian asked.

"No, but it wouldn't hurt you to have a little faith in me," she said. "I've already held up my end of the deal by not escaping again since Klaus brought me back."

"And I hope that continues," Dorian nodded. "You both look nice, by the way."

"Thanks," Sybil gave him a small smile. "Klaus has good taste. Much better than yours, if I remember correctly, Dorian."

He didn't respond to that, but walked away. "Did you have to do that?" Klaus asked her.

"I'm surprised you want me to play nice," Sybil remarked.

"Normally, I am all for fighting the man, but we're in public," Klaus said. "Making a scene won't help anything. It'll just give them more reason to mistrust you and restrict you. That's not what we want, right?"

"No," Sibyl sighed. "I guess not. I need a drink."

"How much do you plan on drinking?" Klaus questioned. "Cause I don't think letting you get drunk is something I should allow."

"Oh, fine," Sybil grabbed him and pulled him on to the dance floor. "Let's move. I need a distraction."

"All right," Klaus nodded, once again mentally praising himself for picking out such a nice white dress for her. "Let's do it."

Rodan, on the other hand, wasn't so eager. Instead, he was sitting in the corner with his third drink while Katherine danced without him. When the next dance ended, she joined him again. "Still not dancing, huh? Why did you even come, then? Why let a nice gold tux go to waste?"

"I'm just too full of nerves," Rodan told her, tilting his head and emptying his glass. "But like I told you, you can feel free to dance with anyone else you like."

"Oh, but I don't _want_ to spend the night dancing with other men," Katherine informed him. "Get up. You have to do at least one dance with me."

"All right," Rodan sighed. "But only one." He let her take his hand and lead him on to the floor. "You know, you look very good in that dress, he remarked about the gown, which had a sweetheart neckline and a gold bodice, along with a gold skirt that stopped halfway down to reveal two white petticoats.

"Thanks," Katherine smiled. "I picked it out myself. I always thought gold was my color." She picked some lint off the shoulder of his jacket. "And yours too."

Rodan smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

"Are you really so worried about your kids getting left out of the succession that you can't do anything but drink?" Katherine asked as he twirled her. "What if you find out you're worrying for nothing?"

"Then I will be very happy," Rodan remarked. "But that hasn't happened yet, so don't get too excited."

After one more dance which Dorian and Selina sat out so he could keep an eye on his twin grandsons and their dates (with Ben and Ingrid clad in all black and Nate and Lydia clad in all white, which seemed oddly appropriate, given their personalities) to make sure they wouldn't cause trouble, and when that was over, one of the demons from the council stepped forward, motioning for the music to stop and calling Dorian, Rodan, Selina, Arthur, Eric, and Josh on the stage.

"So glad to see everyone has been having a good time," he remarked after clearing his throat. "But now it's time for the real reason we came: so that I, as an emissary of the demon council, can inform you of our decision regarding succession. After much thought and debate, we came to a choice that surprised us: no single candidate will rule us next. Instead, both Joshua and Arthur will rule jointly, and I'm sure their combined outlooks will make for an orderly and successful demon world."

The room burst into applause as both Arthur and Josh looked at Lily and Sarah in shock. They had both figured this would be the outcome, but it was still a surprise to hear.

As their parents congratulated them, Eric came over to comfort a bummed Sybil. "I hope you're not disappointed," he told her. "Cause I'm not. I'm just not cut out for ruling like you want me to be."

"Well, as long as you're happy, I suppose that's what matters," she told him. "I only wanted you to rule to help myself and that's no good."

Eric then looked at Klaus in shock. "Whatever you've done with her, keep doing it!" He then gave a surprised Sybil a hug and went to join everyone else for one last dance, and then he and Sophia left with Lilith and Sophia's uncle, Caleb.

"I'm surprised you're so relieved about not getting a ruling position," Lilith told her ex. She was a demon too, and as long as she'd known him, power had always been on his mind. "What changed?"

"The fact that I no longer need to wield power to prove to Dad I'm worth something," Eric told her. "I'm happy, just like you are." He paused. "You _are_ happy, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Lilith assured him and gestured at her spiky haired blond boyfriend. "Caleb's taking good care of me. But we've been staying away from Malachai because of his anti-demon thing."

"Probably a good decision," Sophia told her uncle. "From what I hear, he's determined to make all demons disappear off the face of the earth."

* * *

It took research and planning, but eventually, Malachai finally located where Mikael's tomb was located so he could go wake him up. He picked the night to do it and then realized getting out would be harder than he thought.

"I was thinking we could go see a movie tonight," Helene got out. "You want to?"

"No," Malachai shook his head. "No thanks. I have…things to do."

"What sort of things?" Helene questioned. "Can I help? Whatever it is, you can tell me. You might as well. I'll get it out of you anyway."

"I'm doing something to help defeat the demons," Malachai told her. "That's all I'm going to say."

"Will it get you hurt or in trouble because if it will, I want to know that," Helene replied.

"No, it shouldn't," Malachai shook his head. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, you can go now," Helene nodded. "But give me a call when you're on your way back."

Malachai disappeared then and their son William came to join Helene on the sofa. "What do you think he's up to now?"

"Probably nothing good, if he doesn't want me to know specifics," Helene replied, shaking her dark hair out of her eyes. "I just hope he knows what he's doing. Maybe my mom had something to do with this. You think I should ask her?"

"You might want to," William nodded. "If Dad's going rogue and something happens, Grandma should know."

So Helene called her mother, who, when she answered, sounded exhausted.

"What do you need?" She asked. "I hope you don't have anything bad to tell me."

"No, I just…I wondered if you've assigned Malachai any demon destroying duties," Helene said. "Cause he left tonight and said that's what he was going out to do."

"No, I haven't," Astrid replied, a bit of worry in her voice now. "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Me either," Helene agreed and then shook her head at William. "I really hope he doesn't."

* * *

Meanwhile, when Malachai arrived at Mikael's hiding place, John was there to scorn him. "What took you so long?" He asked. "Did you forget what time we agreed to meet? I've already gotten the lid off."

"And yet you still haven't woken him up," Malachai smirked. "It was so sweet of you to wait for me."

"Being sweet had nothing to do with it," John scoffed. "I wanted backup, that's all."

"All right, now that I'm here, we can wake him," Malachai said, joining John and slowly pulling the dagger out of Mikael's chest. Then, as he opened his eyes, Malachai said, "Time to wake up."

"Yes," Mikael whispered as he blinked and got used to speaking again. "Yes."


	64. Fit To Rule

Things went well enough between Gwen and Jeffrey that she let him take her home and stay for a drink.

"That was a pleasant evening," she remarked. "I think I can admit it now."

"Good," Jeffrey remarked with a smile. "I had a good time too. When will I see you again? Or I could stay the night now."

"That's…that's a bit presumptuous of you," Gwen told him. "My husband isn't dead. He's just unable to be with me at the moment. But knowing him, he'll find a way back to me eventually."

"Oh, I don't think you want him to," Jeffrey told her and leaned forward to smell her hair. "You're just making excuses. That's absolute bullshit and you know it."

"You can think what you want," Gwen shrugged and moved her head out of the way. "But I still have a very strong feeling in my gut that someone will revive him some day and you won't want to be here and face him when he returns."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I'm still not frightened of him," Jeffrey told her with a grin. "I'm not scared of anything."

"I'll try and remember that," Gwen told him and rose gracefully from the red leather sofa where they both sat. "Now, why don't you have your drink? What can I get you?"

"Oh, now…" Jeffrey clicked his tongue. "What's the rush? Once we have our drinks, then you'll want me to go."

"Why are you so intent on staying when I've been so difficult?" Gwen asked. "Any sane man would have given up! Or at least gotten perturbed, called me a bitch, and stormed out cause I didn't make things easy for him."

"Well, luckily for you, I am a man who likes a challenge," Jeffrey said. "And if I'm not mistaken, part of you is thrilled that I haven't run away yet. Even if it's really deep down."

"All right," Gwen conceded. "Maybe it's been long enough since I've been with a man that the attention is _a little_ flattering."

"See?" Jeffrey chuckled. "Was that so hard to admit?" He looked around at Gwen and Mikael's very elegantly decorated home. "You have a great place here. Who was responsible for that?"

"Both of us," Gwen replied. "There was a bit of a battle, actually. Mikael wanted something ostentatious to show off his power and position. I wanted something more beautiful and understated. And I won, thank goodness."

Jeffrey chuckled. "Did you threaten to banish him to the couch if he didn't agree with you?"

"Oh, really!" Gwen huffed. "I'm more mature than that." There _had_ been a little bit of that involved, but she wasn't going to admit it to Jeffrey.

Just then, the phone rang and Gwen breathed a sigh of relief, rising to her feet. "You don't mind if I get that, do you?" She questioned.

"No, of course not," Jeffrey shook his head. "And if it's your charming daughter, may I talk to her too?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Gwen questioned. "What would you have to say to her?"

"I just feel I should have a chance to correct any fibs you might tell about our evening," Jeffrey said. "You're gonna make it seem worse than it was, aren't you?"

"No," Gwen promised. "I'll tell her the truth."

"Well, you better go do that before she hangs up." Jeffrey commented as Gwen took off toward the phone.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly when she answered it.

"Oh, don't worry," Rebecca assured her. "I actually hoped you wouldn't be around when I called because you and Jeffrey were doing something."

"Actually, he's at the house now," Gwen said. "We're talking and having a drink."

"You are?" Rebecca asked. "Good for you! I'm so proud! Whenever you and he want to double date with Eli and I, just let us know."

"Now, now, don't rush things," Gwen cautioned. "Who says that a drink will lead to all that?"

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Rebecca questioned. "Mikael might never come back! I know it's nice to have a break from him, but do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life?"

"No, of course I don't," Gwen said. "But you know that I can be that way if I need to. I don't just want to pick the first guy that comes along because I'm lonely. That's a terrible way to make decisions!"

There was a silence at the end of the line as Rebecca finally decided to change the subject to something more pleasant. "So, how was the ball? Was it fun?"

"Well, it was nice to have a night out," Gwen told her. "And Jeffrey chose to be a gentleman, so we had a good time."

"Good," Rebecca told her. "That's nice to hear. It's good for you to get out every once in a while." She paused. "Now that I've gotten everything out of you that I need, I think I'll leave you and Jeffrey to have your drink. That's what you want, right?"

"Actually, he'd like to talk to you as well," Gwen informed her. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, of course not!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I'd love that. He might give me more detail than you are."

So Gwen took the phone and handed it to Jeffrey, who was grinning widely.

"She says you can talk to her," she said.

"Hello, Rebecca," Jeffrey told her. "Yes, your mother and I had a good time at the ball. You know, she is quite the dancer. And she looked wonderful in her dress." He paused. "You helped her pick it out? You have great taste!" He paused again. "Sure, I would love to come out with you and your husband! I know you would probably like it even more it was your mother and me both, but if it's just me, that's okay too, right? Excellent. See you then!" He grinned and ended the call, grinning at Gwen. "Your charming daughter just invited me to a wine tasting she and her husband are going to. Isn't that nice? Would you like to come too?"

"Sure, why not? After that news, I could use a drink," Gwen remarked dryly. "What can I get you?"

"Whatever red wine you have would be great," Jeffrey told her. "I'm not particularly picky when it comes to stuff like that."

"Good to know," Gwen nodded and went to the kitchen. She soon returned with a glass of Chianti for him and a glass of Pinot Gris for herself and then they clinked glasses. "To a long and successful relationship," he said.

"I don't know," Gwen told him. "We'll just have to see about that." Then she downed her glass and went back to the kitchen for a refill.

* * *

"So how was the ball last night?" Matthew questioned, opening the door to Sarah and Josh's knock and holding a yawning Ellie, who was rubbing her eyes in his arms. "Did you have fun? Come in and have some breakfast."

"I hope you don't mind that we stayed the night at the hotel instead of coming to get Ellie right after," Sarah said. "The demon council decided that Josh and Arthur are going to rule together some day and we wanted some time to talk about it alone."

"Oh, of course!" Matthew nodded. "Ellie didn't seem to mind at all. We set up the tent in the living room and she just…fell right asleep."

"Good," Sarah smiled and kissed Ellie's hair as she reached for her mother. "I'm so glad to hear that."

"How do you feel about all this?" Christine asked Josh. "Are you excited?"

"I don't know," Josh shrugged. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm a little nervous. I'm sure that they had their good reasons for choosing me and I'm touched by their faith in me, but…I don't know. I've never ruled over anything before. What if I do something wrong?"

"It's not like you're going to be alone," Sarah reminded him. "You'll have Arthur with you."

"And what about that?" Josh asked. "He's prepared longer than I have. What if he just takes over everything and doesn't give me a chance? Then what's the point of me being there at all?"

"Of course he'll give you a chance!" Sarah put a hand on his shoulder. "My sister will make sure that he knows he can't just take over and that this is something you have to work on together."

"All right," Josh nodded. But he still didn't quite believe it. He took Ellie in his lap and hugged her. She really _did_ have a calming effect on him, and that was what he needed right now.

"And remember that it's not like you're going to start ruling tomorrow," Matthew reminded him. "It could take years. You have plenty of time to prepare."

"Exactly," Sarah nodded. "That's another thing. You have so many people that want to see you succeed. You don't have to go through all this alone and I truly believe you'll be surprised at all the good you'll do for people."

"I know I'll be able to do good," Josh nodded, running his hand up and down Ellie's back. "I just don't know how."

"You'll have time to learn," Sarah said. "That's the best part."

"You know what always helps me when my mind is troubled like yours is?" Matthew asked. "A ride on a horse. I can take you to the stables and you can go with Ellie. Have you ever been on a horse?"

"No, but I've heard good things," Josh nodded and got to his feet.

"I'll come too," Sarah volunteered.

"Why don't we all go?" Christine suggested. "Take advantage of the sunshine?"

And with that, they got in the car and made their way to the stables.

* * *

"What's it like being one of the most important vampires?" Lily asked her father as she and Arthur sat at the table with Elijah and Amy, telling them about the demon council's decision. "What do you do? What does it mean?"

"Well, you have to keep order," Elijah told her. "You have to keep control. You can't just let things be done however. When you rule, it's up to you to be an example for others to follow."

"It also doesn't hurt to use a ruling position to show compassion," Amy added. "Order is important, but showing people that you care and are accessible is important too."

"That could be Josh's area," Elijah said. "You two keep order and Josh and Sarah do all that compassion business your mother is talking about."

"Oh, even the most orderly person can have compassion," Lily reminded him. "It doesn't have to be one or the other. Otherwise, you wouldn't have brought me home when you found me in the club rubble."

"Exactly," Arthur nodded. "And what my mom taught my dad more than anything is that rulers are more effective when they aren't just about rules."

"Your mother is a very good woman," Elijah nodded. "Whatever she tells you about things like that, you should listen to her."

"And what do you think about ruling with Josh?" Amy added. "You're going to be fair with him, aren't you?"

"Oh, of course," Arthur nodded. "But right now, I don't know what he could do. He doesn't have any experience with stuff like that."

"So you teach him," Lily said. "It wouldn't hurt. Unless you're so proud and so intent on keeping all the glory for yourself that you plan to resort to sabotaging the poor guy."

"Of course I wouldn't do that," Arthur informed her. "How could you even _suggest_ it?"

"Well, I have to wonder," Lily remarked. "Would it allay your fears about him to have a meeting with him and Sarah and see if they've thought at all about what they plan to bring to the table? Josh probably wouldn't mind finding out where you stand, either."

Amy smiled. "Lily, that is a marvelous idea! Very diplomatic."

"I just don't want there to be more trouble with this than there has to be," Lily shrugged. "They want us all to work together and I don't see any reason why we can't." She looked at Arthur. "You want to make the call to Josh and Sarah, or should I?"

"Would you?" Arthur asked. "At least for now, I mean? I'll make any in the future, I promise."

"All right," Lily nodded. "Just this once, _I'll_ call them."

* * *

"We were really happy to get your call to talk about this," Josh told Arthur. "I think it's really important we both know where the other stands so we can work together more effectively."

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "Me too. I agree." He then lapsed into silence and then drank some of his coffee while Sarah and Lily looked at one another behind their backs and rolled their eyes.

"That's a good start," Sarah said. "Obviously getting comfortable with each other and building trust is something we need to work on."

"It's a shame the demon council won't let you and I rule," Lily added. "I trust you already, Sarah."

Sarah smiled. "You know what? Glad to hear it because I feel exactly the same way."

"I think you can start by introducing Josh to some of the important demons you know," Lily told Arthur. "He's gonna have to know them too."

"I will?" Josh asked. "And how long does something like that usually take?"

"Well, more than just a few hours, if that's what you're wondering," Arthur said. "Is that a problem?"

"No," Josh sighed, although he hated the idea of being away from Ellie for so long. But if he was gonna be an effective ruler, sacrifices had to be made, and it wasn't as if Sarah's parents wouldn't trip over themselves to have Ellie at their house again while he was doing all this. "Whatever needs to be done, I'll do."

"Good," Arthur patted him on the shoulder. "We'll start tomorrow. Will that work for you?"

"Sure," Josh nodded, trying not to feel overwhelmed and sick to his stomach. "Whatever you think is best."


	65. This Is How Demons Rule

"It feels so odd to be here as a guest, not as a prisoner," Josh remarked as Arthur led him through the doors of the demon government building and in the direction of Dorian's office. "It still feels like any minute, someone will jump out and cuff me."

"Why would they do that when you haven't done anything bad recently?" Arthur questioned. "Are you always this nervous about everything? How are you supposed to rule with a temperament like that?"

Being scolded just made Josh more nervous. It sounded like trying to talk to his father all over again. "Well aren't you used to having to live up to other people's standards?" He questioned. "Haven't you ever been nervous that you wouldn't live up to someone else's expectations of you? Cause that's how I'm feeling right now."

"You're right," Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry. I should be sympathetic, not impatient."

"Thank you for saying that," Josh returned. "Can I ask if I'm just going to be with you when I learn all this stuff? Didn't you say the girls are coming to meet us later?"

"Yes," Arthur assured him as they reached Dorian's office door. "The girls are definitely coming later. You won't just be stuck with me."

"Well, thank goodness for that," Josh remarked as they paused and Arthur knocked on his father's office door. "Not that you're not a good person, but…I need Sarah right now. All this is too weird and foreign for me to handle by myself!"

"Oh, don't worry," Arthur assured him. "I'm not offended. I know what you mean."

Just then, the door opened and Josh stepped back a little as Jim stared at them for a moment. "Oh, good," he said, his face creasing into a smile. "Dorian is expecting you. He's just getting everyone warmed up to meet you. That's been going on for a while, so just sit tight and I'm sure he'll be with you shortly."

"Thanks, Jim," Arthur smiled and motioned for Josh to sit with him in one of the chairs across from Dorian's desk.

Josh thought he would get nervous, but there wasn't enough time. In what seemed like a matter of seconds, Dorian stuck his head through the door and said, "They're ready for you now."

"Can I just ask what they're expecting?" Josh questioned. "I hope they don't want me to make any long speeches or anything cause I wouldn't know what to say!"

"Please relax," Dorian said. "It's really not gonna be what you think."

"Why do I even have to meet them?" Josh continued. "If they think I'm good enough to rule the demon world, don't they know me pretty well already?"

"Don't you want to know about the people who hired you?" Arthur questioned. "Aren't you even the least bit curious?"

"Well, what do you know about them?" Josh asked. "Are they good people?"

"They have good judgment," Arthur told him. "They know what they need for things to run efficiently and that's why they picked both of us to do the job."

They were then shown into a chamber where ninety men and women (thirty from each demon species) sat in a room that resembled a theatre and when they entered, they indeed felt as if they'd been put on stage and were being expected to perform.

"Hi," Josh said at last. "I want to say how touched I am that you think I'm good enough to lead, even though most people in the demon world probably think of me as a criminal or a misfit. Thanks for the chance. I'm not sure how well-placed your trust is at the moment, but I promise I'll try to do my best."

"We know," one of the blue demons who sat up front told him. "That's why we picked you: cause we know you'll try your hardest and always do what you think is right. This meeting isn't meant to be an interrogation. It's not us trying to get more evidence about why you're good for the job. You've already got it. There's no need to worry. We're doing this because we thought it would ease your mind if everyone knew each other personally. But if it's not doing you any good…if it's in fact making you feel worse, we don't have to do it."

"Oh, no," Josh shook his head. "Now that you put it that way, it's not such a bad idea. But can we wait until our girlfriends get here to give us support? Would that be too much of an inconvenience?"

"No…" a white demon assured him. "We can wait. It makes no difference."

Although his tone was good-natured and Josh was sure that he meant it, he also hoped that the girls would be here soon so the demon council wouldn't be kept waiting. He let out a sigh of relief when Sarah and Lily burst into the room and came to stand beside Josh and Arthur and take their hands.

"Sorry we're late," Sarah told them all. "Josh is my usual babysitter and I had a bit of trouble finding someone to watch our daughter."

He had been nervous before, but feeling Sarah's hand in his and hearing her refer to Ellie as 'our daughter' gave Josh more courage than he'd had before, something that Lily and Arthur both noticed as his back straightened and a broad smile curved his lips.

"I would love to get to know all of you," he said. "Let's go from the left to the right of each row. Tell me your name and your species at the very least, and anything else you'd like me to know that could help me be the best ruler I can be. Is that all right?"

The council looked at each other and nodded in approval. Then they stood up one at a time an introduced themselves as Josh went from person to person, row to row, and with a wide grin on his face, shook their hands, thanked them for their trust and encouragement, and remarked that he would look forward to working with them while Lily, Sarah, and Arthur looked on with pride and admiration.

* * *

"What?" Gwen huffed when she answered a phone call and heard Jeffrey on the other end. "I let you take me to the ball and come into my house for a drink. I don't think you're entitled to anything else." She paused. "Did Rebecca tell you to call again?"

"No," Jeffrey told her. "I think that I can make plans to call you without prodding from your daughter." He paused. "I want us to go out again."

"No," Gwen said firmly. "I told you why."

"And what if I told you that I could show you evidence that there is no way that your husband is coming back?" Jeffrey questioned. "Then would you go out with me?"

"How would you get that proof?" Gwen questioned. "The place where he's buried, no one I know is aware of where it is. Dorian won't tell us."

"Oh, but you forget that I'm a high level demon," Jeffrey reminded her. "I'm privy to these sorts of things. If I told you I knew where he was buried and could prove to you that he was good and dead, would you give me another chance?"

"Maybe," Gwen said, just saying it to get him to end the call. "We'll see. Can you be here in five minutes?"

"Oh, I need much less than five," Jeffrey grinned and popped right in front of her, making her squeak. "Hello, Gwen."

"Hello, Jeffrey," Gwen hissed. "You better be right about this whole thing. It better not just be some ploy to manipulate me."

"It's not," Jeffrey promised. "I swear. Just trust me, okay?"

"Isn't it a bit early to ask that of me?" Gwen questioned as he rubbed her palm with his thumb. "You seem awfully sure of yourself."

"Well, that shouldn't be a surprise to you," Jeffrey informed her, his dark eyes full of light. "Now, do you want your proof about your husband, or do you just want to stand here and talk all day?" He paused. "Because I'd be all right with either one, frankly."

"Of course you would," Gwen huffed and pulled at his hand. "Show me my husband if you can," she demanded. "If what you say is true, I want proof."

"All right," Jeffrey smiled. "You shall have it."

* * *

"This is where they're hiding him?" Gwen looked around the warehouse. "That's real subtle." Then she saw the coffin. "As is that." She then stared at Jeffrey, who seemed confused.

"What?" She asked. "What's the matter?"

"It looks like it's been disturbed," Jeffrey told her as he pulled her close to look at the coffin. "See? There are several locks on it that have all been unlocked and some spells that were undone. I don't know how, but there you go."

"What are you saying?" Gwen asked. "Someone let Mikael _out_?"

"I would think that the idea would make you over the moon!" Jeffrey remarked. "Cause it seems like all you want now is to be reunited with your husband. That's what you've been telling me."

Gwen opened the coffin and gasped. Chains and a bloody dagger lay on the pillow. "I thought so," she whispered. "But now that I might actually be seeing him again, I'm really not so sure."

* * *

"Okay, phone, stop ringing!" King Hamilton Mikaelson yelled as he ran toward it, wanting so badly to stop its incessant ringing. Whoever it was must really want to talk to him. "What?" He shouted into the receiver.

"King, lower your voice!" His mother scolded. "You don't talk to me that way!"

"Sorry," King replied, even though his tone said that he clearly wasn't.

Although she hated being talked to like that, it made Gwen a little homesick for Mikael. King really was the man's son. "I need to ask you a question and I would like you to answer me honestly," Gwen said. "Can you do that?"

"I'll try," King told her. "What's the question?"

"Have you seen your father lately?" Gwen questioned. "Has he talked to you? Do you know where he is?"

"I thought Dorian had daggered him and he was stuck in a coffin somewhere," King reminded her. "What makes you think I would know where he is?"

"Cause he's not in the coffin now," Gwen informed him. "And I thought that if he got out, the first person he would come to see before even me was you, his son."

"Wait, say that again," King requested. "Did you say that Dad is undaggered and out of his coffin? Where is he? Cause I sure as hell have not seen him."

"Yes, I did," Gwen sighed. "That's what I said, all right. And if you haven't seen him, then I have no idea where he might be. He's missing. And he can't have been happy being daggered like he was. I bet that wherever he is, he wants revenge."

"And you think we should stop him?" King questioned.

"Of course," Gwen nodded. "Not only from hurting others but because there is a chance that I am on the cusp of a new relationship with a demon and you just know things won't end well if your father finds out about that."

"No," King agreed. Then, his focus changed for a moment. "You're dating a demon? What's he like? Is he better or worse than Dad?"

"I don't know if I want to talk about it," Gwen told him. "Focus on what's important now and if you want details about my relationship, I'm sure Rebecca will be more than happy to give them to you."

"All right," King agreed. "Sorry. I'll get Vivi and Eva and we'll see if we can't hunt Dad down and get some answers."

"Thank you," Gwen told him. "Let me know as soon as you find anything."

"Of course," King promised. "I will."


	66. The Annoying House Guest

"It's about time you got me out of that dirty, awful warehouse!" Mikael raged at John as they escaped the hiding place where they'd been crammed along with Malachai until they were absolutely sure it was okay to move him without attracting suspicion since he didn't want to be found out just yet. "Where are we going? I hope it's somewhere clean and warm and nice!"

"Oh, it is," John assured him. "We're going to a mansion of mine. Some people might even call it a chateau. You'll have nothing to complain about."

"Well, as long as you're going to be there, I think I have _plenty_ to complain about!" Mikael raged and had to be shoved into the backseat of John's car while John and Malachai rolled their eyes at each other and rued the fact that they couldn't just kill him. "How long will it take us to get there? Will it be long?"

He continued to complain until they got to the house and he saw Freya. "I forgot you were here," he told her, looking stunned.

"I heard you were dead," Freya said in a muted voice as she hugged him. "I'm so glad to see you, Father."

"I'm glad to see you too," Mikael told her, putting a hand on her face. "And while I'm here and planning my plans, I won't be an inconvenience, I promise." He paused and gently kissed her forehead. "How are you? Is he treating you all right?"

"Yes," Freya nodded. "He treats me very well."

"And how are Ingrid and Christian?" Mikael asked. "Are they well?"

"Yes, they're fine, although John is still having issues with Ingrid's boyfriend, Ben. Frankly, I think he brings all the problems on himself and if he would just lighten up, it would all go away, but…what do I know?" She shrugged. "I know you don't like John, but remember that he had nothing to do with you being daggered and put in that warehouse. He got you out of it. So you'll be considerate to him, won't you? Or at least not go out of your way to cause trouble?"

"Of course not," Mikael assured her. "I won't cause trouble for John, I swear."

"All right," said Freya, and led him to his big room with a four poster bed covered in red blankets. "If you're not gonna cause trouble for John, then…I'm glad to have you. I'm glad to see you, Daddy."

* * *

But Mikael's promise soon proved to be a big fat lie. Even though he _did_ try his hardest to behave for Freya's sake, part of him couldn't live with John without annoying him a little, so when they gave him a bell to ring when he needed something as a way to keep him from showing himself to any visitors, he rang it ever chance he got. He was sure to tell Freya of his plan so that it was only John that would come running.

"You really shouldn't do that," she told him. "It's not very nice."

"Oh, come on!" He cried. "I've got to have a little fun! Do you know how long I've been cooped up? I need to let off some steam! And it won't be at you."

But soon, even Freya began to be annoyed at her father's enthusiasm for ringing the bell.

"This is supposed to help keep you hidden!" She growled at her father one day when she heard someone knocking at the door. "People are visiting now, and if you keep ringing that damn bell, they will hear you and your presence won't be a secret, now will it?"

"No," Mikael sighed and reluctantly put the bell down so Freya could keep an eye on it. "I guess not." He paused. "Who do you think is coming? I hope it's not that woman and her stupid husband."

"And by 'that woman', you mean Selina, don't you?" Freya questioned.

"You don't have to be polite about her anymore. She and your brother are divorced," Mikael reminded her. "She's no longer part of our family."

"And you never thought she was in first place," Freya reminded him. "It might be her, it might not. Let's see. And remember, don't ring that bell!" She ran to the front door and opening it, intrigued to find Malachai on the other side. "Yes?" She asked. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to have a meeting with your father," Malachai informed her. "Is that okay? Is he accepting visitors?"

"Sure," Freya nodded and gestured for him to come in. "You talk about whatever you want. I'm sure he'll be glad for the company. He's been so lonely and bored lately that the only way he can amuse himself is by pestering John."

Malachai chuckled. "Oh, I bet John is enjoying that."

"Oh, definitely," Freya replied. "I really _am_ going to have to apologize for giving him that bell in the first place, though. Let me show you where Dad is." She led him to the room where Mikael was stuck, and he was not happy to see Malachai.

"Of all the guests you could have brought me, why did it have to be him?" Mikael yelled.

"I saved you too!" Malachai reminded him. "So be nice! And I came because I thought you would want to be part of a plan to defeat the demons since you hate them too, but if that's not true, and you'd rather they just control the earth, I can leave right now and John and I can plan the whole thing ourselves without you!"

"No, no!" Mikael cried, realizing his error. "I hate the demons as much as you do. I want to be part of eradicating them. I won't be left out."

"I thought you would say that," Malachai smiled. "So let's plan."

* * *

It was while they were planning that the doorbell rang again and this time, the people on the other side were definitely not who Freya was expecting: Jeffrey, Gwen, and King.

"Hi, Freya!" King greeted his sister. "We were looking for Dad since he seems to have escaped his captivity. Do you know where he is?"

"No!" Freya shook her head, deciding to play dumb for their father's sake, even if she wouldn't be able to make that last forever. "No idea! I can't believe he's gone!"

"If you're covering for him, you could just be making things worse," Jeffrey told her. "I know it's an understatement to say that your father has issues with demons, and I have no doubt that he's probably passed them on to you, but do you really want to have the deaths of a bunch of demons on your conscience when they haven't ever done a single thing to him?"

"What do you mean they've never done a single thing to me?" Mikael called. Despite his determination to stay hidden, Jeffrey's voice carried and the thought of being in the same house as a demon was not something he could let stand. It was worth showing himself to say his piece. "Don't you remember that I was stabbed with a dagger and put in a box in a warehouse? Your demon boss did that, you know!"

"Dad, you murdered his wife!" King reminded his father. "And his child! You can't think that Dorian would have just let that stand. If you're gonna do bad things to people, don't go around thinking that they'll let you get away with it!"

Mikael then stomped down the stairs with Malachai rushing after him, advising, "Don't do this…don't do this!"

"Why the hell not?" Mikael raged. "Why shouldn't I confront them?"

"I thought you wanted to stay hidden," Malachai reminded him.

"Well, that was before I knew that a demon would be allowed to come striding into this house!" Mikael replied. He was just so full of rage. "Why are you being so soft? You're basically useless!"

He repeated this to John when he appeared a few minutes later, curious about the source of all the commotion "Why is he even here?" He raged at John, shaking his finger at Malachai.

And John glared at Jeffrey, even though he was speaking to Mikael. "Malachai is with us because he doesn't like demons and we don't either."

"You hate demons?" Jeffrey asked, gasping and putting a hand to his chest. "You don't say! I wouldn't have guessed that!"

"No one asked your opinion, demon!" Mikael yelled and gave him a good, hard push.

"All right, all right, that's enough!" Gwen cried, using her magic to send Mikael flying against the wall while King helped Jeffrey to his feet. "We didn't come here to start a fight. We just wanted to know where you were, since you are _clearly_ not where you're supposed to be."

"Why are you helping him?" Mikael yelled at Gwen. "You're _my_ wife! You shouldn't go around and consort with demons behind my back!"

"You were gone!" Gwen cried. "Am I just supposed to stop having a life because you and I are separated?"

"Yes!" Mikael nodded. "Exactly. You had to know that I was going to come back, no matter how long it took."

"Well, I was _not_ going to wait around forever, despite what you thought," Gwen said and put her head on Jeffrey's shoulder. "And this guy… _this guy_ …"

"Let me guess," Mikael mocked. "You love him?"

"Well…" Gwen hedged. "I don't know. But I'll think about it."

"You will?" Jeffrey questioned, trying not to look too surprised.

"Yeah," Gwen nodded, grabbing his face and kissing him as Mikael cursed and stomped around and King held him back from attacking the best he could. "Just don't push me."

* * *

"You haven't talked with me since the ball," Klaus remarked to Sybil, who saw him come into the kitchen, picked up her coffee, her eyes wide, and began to run out of the kitchen. "Don't you run away! What's going on? We had fun at the ball, so what happened?"

"That's just it," Sybil remarked and put her coffee cup down. "We had too much fun at the ball and it's…it's making me a bit uncomfortable. It's taking me to a place I don't want to be. So you take back your dress and your shoes and whatever, and we'll pretend like it never happened."

"But it did!" Klaus exclaimed, feeling very offended. "And that dress was a gift. I don't take back gifts. Just keep it in your closet. I know you'll want to wear it again someday."

"What do you mean 'your closet'?" Sybil asked. "We share a closet."

"What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours," Klaus said without looking at her.

"Ah," Sybil nodded. "So what…are you saying that you want to wear my dresses too?"

"Well, no!" Klaus shook his head. "Just because you put me in a dress to show you proper dancing, that doesn't mean I like them! I just mean that I want you to keep the damn dress, all right? Why is that such a problem?"

"Because this means that there's some sort of attachment between us!" Sybil yelled and shook the dress at him. "And I didn't sign up for that. You know what I signed up for? Meaningless fucking! That's it! That's all! Don't ask me for anything more, all right? My god! It makes me miss the days that you demanded I stayed tied up in my room." She threw the dress at his feet and stomped on it. "Let's go back to that, shall we?"


	67. A More Romantic Direction

"Do you mean it?" Klaus asked. "Do you really want to go back to being enemies with me? I don't think you do. I think it's just talk."

"No, it's not!" Sybil insisted. "I really _do_ want to go back to being enemies with you."

"But why?" Klaus asked, trying to reach out and take her hand. "I think it's stupid. Help me understand!" He picked up the dress and dusted it off, making a face. "And why ruin such a nice gown?"

"I told you," she said between her teeth. "I don't want to be in a relationship with you. Nothing really deep. I just want us to have sex." She then stepped back, her eyes closed, and her body tense.

"What are you doing?" He asked, reaching out to take her hand and gently kiss the back. "Are you afraid I'll hurt you because you said something I didn't like? Are you testing me?"

"What will you do?" Sibyl asked, opening one eye. "Aren't you mad at me?"

"No," Klaus assured her, pulling her close and hugging her as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I just want to understand. I want you to trust me. I want to be with you." He kissed her gently then, and when he pulled away, a shy smile on his face, she was stunned.

"You-you mean it?" She got out. "You're not just giving me false hope?"

"Why would I do that?" Klaus questioned.

Sybil shrugged. "Because everyone else seems to. It's what I'm used to."

"I know what you mean," Klaus nodded. "I've been there and I don't like feeling that way myself, so I would never do it to you."

"Oh?" Sibyl questioned. "Well…I'm sorry you had to go through whatever you had to go through. And…I really do like the dress."

"I'm glad," Klaus smiled. "Cause it _does_ look good on you."

"Thanks," Sybil smiled. "You _did_ pick well."

Klaus sighed and ran his hand down her back. "What do we do now?" He asked. "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," Sibyl shrugged. "I assume that everyone will want me to stay here so you can keep an eye on me."

"Well, even if that wasn't a problem, I would still want you in my house," Klaus told her. "Are you really planning to be much of a danger?"

"I admit I was at first," Sibyl told him. "When I thought I could still use Eric to sabotage what was going on with Arthur and Josh and have glory for myself in the process, but suddenly…suddenly that doesn't seem so important anymore."

"So you don't plan on causing any more trouble?" Klaus questioned. "Well, that's good. We should mention it to Dorian and Rodan so they don't worry."

"Oh, but just so you know, if I'm still staying here, even when I'm good, you can still tie me up," Sybil winked. "I'm okay with that."

"Excellent," Klaus winked before leaning in and giving her another kiss.

* * *

"So tell me again why you're here?" Jeffrey requested of Sybil. "Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you. Has the council forgiven you for the past? Will we be living with each other again?"

"Well, I don't know if they've necessarily forgiven me," Sibyl admitted. "But I think they're at the point where they have bigger things to think about than me, so as long as I stay out of trouble, I've moved down the list of worries."

"Good!" Jeffrey smiled. "So you're staying with Klaus?"

"I think so," Sybil nodded. "We had a talk, and I think we'll be good for each other."

"'Good for each other'?" Jeffrey repeated, eyebrow raised. "Are you and he dating now or something?"

"Well, I don't know about labels but we decided to take our relationship in a more romantic direction," Sybil said. "Is that okay? Do you have a problem with that?"

"Are you really asking?" Jeffrey wanted to know and leaned across the wooden table. "Do you honestly want to hear my opinion?"

"Oh, god," Sybil sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No, you misunderstand me," Jeffrey told her, moving some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. "I'm thrilled, frankly." He went and got a letter and handed it to her. "Especially since I received this in the mail."

Sybil took the envelope from his hand and looked at it, the name on the return address making her blood freeze. "Oh, my god," she whispered. "What is _he_ doing writing to you? How did he find you? Does he actually expect me to see him again after all he did to me?"

"Of course he does," Jeffrey nodded. "You stay close to Klaus. If you know who shows up at your house, it'll do me good to know that you'll have help facing him."

"Yeah, I know," Sybil nodded and threw the envelope at her father. "Have you read the rest of the letter? How long do I have to prepare myself until he shows up? Is he already here?"

"No, he's not here yet," Jeffrey assured her. "But he'll be here soon. At first I thought you came here because you already knew that, but it seems like a surprise to you."

"Because it is!" Sybil cried. "The reason why I came here was because I found a note that Klaus left me, telling me to get out of the house for a bit because he's making up a surprise for me."

"Oh? I wish you could know what it was," Jeffrey told her. "Do you think it will be any good?"

"Well, based on what he's already surprised me with, I think it will be," Sybil nodded. "He said he would call me when he was ready for me to come back. Would you be willing to entertain me until whenever that is?"

"Sure," Jeffrey nodded. "If you'd like it."

"Yeah," Sybil smiled and hugged him. "I would."

* * *

They were having such a good time bonding that Jeffrey was immensely disappointed when Klaus called to tell Sybil her surprise was ready and she told him she had to leave.

"I'll come back some time," she promised. "I'll visit more, I swear. I had a great time today!"

"I did too," Jeffrey told her. "Now, you go have fun. And Tell Klaus I said 'Hi'."

"All right," Sybil said. "I will."

She then got in her car and drove home to find Klaus waiting at the door for her.

"All right," he told her. "Close your eyes, please."

"No," Sybil smiled. "I will not close my eyes. If you don't want me to see whatever it is you've got in store for me, you'll have to find another way to do it."

"Well, okay," Klaus heaved an exaggerated sigh, put her over his shoulder, and gave her a spanking. "I didn't want to do it this way, but you give me no other choice."

"Oh, you horrible man!" Sybil cried, trying to sound indignant, but laughing anyway. "How dare you?"

He just chuckled and carried her off to his room, setting her down on his bed, tying her hands behind her back, and when she tried to squirm out of them, he said, just to be sure, "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"No!" Sybil cried with passion. "Do your worst! It doesn't matter to me!"

"Fine," Klaus told her, a smile on his lips as he pulled her across his lap. "You asked for it!" He gave her a several good spankings and when her bottom was good and sore and the rest of her body was warm and aroused, she looked around the room for the first time, realizing that it was dimly lit by candles, and the sheets on his bed were red silk.

"Oh, my god," she looked around. "This is all so beautiful!"

"Should I let you lay on your stomach for a while?" Klaus questioned. "Or are you okay to be on your back?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," she replied, getting out of bed, stripping down, and climbing under the sheets while letting them caress her bare skin. "All this is so soft," she remarked, her eyes closed. "So soft and so wonderful!"

"You want to know what else is soft?" Klaus questioned, running his fingers through her hair. "This, and all of the…" He leaned forward and sniffed her neck before he kissed it over and over. "I would love nothing more than to nibble on you," he whispered. "If the thought doesn't scare you away. I wouldn't ever want to scare you."

"I don't mind a little nibble," Sybil assured him. "Just…just be gentle, please."

"I'll be as gentle or as rough as you want me to be," Klaus whispered, starting to nibble on her earlobe and waiting to see how she reacted, and when he saw that it didn't seem to bother her, he changed directions, grinning and kissing her before burying himself inside her and, as promised, just gently nipping on her neck and licking up the few drops of blood that welled up slowly.

"Still good?" He whispered as he pushed into her and then gently sucked on her breasts.

"Oh, yes!" Sybil cried, her body bucking with every thrust. "Very good!"

After they had both climaxed and were panting heavily and clutching each other tight, Klaus asked again, "Was that good?"

"Are you…I don't know why you need to ask that!" Sybil said, feeling dumbfounded. "You were there, right? It was _amazing!_ "

"I thought that too," Klaus nodded. "But I wanted to be sure."

"I know that the trouble I had with relationships before has made me a little gun shy and I'm so pleased that you're willing to be gentle, but now that we've gotten through this, please don't think you need to handle me with kid gloves," Sybil told him. "I know the difference between sexy rough play and rough behavior that will actually do me harm and since you've made it clear that you don't mean me harm, I'll never interpret your actions that way, okay? I promise."

Klaus showed his teeth. "I would just love to wring the neck of the man who made you scared in the first place. Or set him on fire. Anything that would be slow and painful."

Sybil snorted. "Well, you're gonna get that chance, allegedly," she informed him. "He sent Dad a letter saying that he wanted to see me, and not only that, that he's intent on reconciliation."

"Are you worried?" Klaus asked, clutching her tighter. "Cause if you are, I assure you that that bastard won't come anywhere near you if I can help it."

"Oh, I know," Sibyl smiled. "I know you'll protect me, which is why I'm not afraid. Thank you for that."

"Well, you're welcome," Klaus told her and pulled the blankets over both of them again. "You are definitely welcome."


	68. To the Amazon

"I would like to welcome you to flight 654 en route to Brasilia, Brazil," came the captain's voice over the loudspeaker of the plane. "We hope you enjoy your time in Brazil and take time to enjoy the Amazon rainforest."

When AnnaLynne heard this, she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She'd wanted to stay in France, but then had heard that women were being kidnapped from hospitals in Brazil, and since it seemed Amazon related, she figured she'd better get on it since that was part of why her father had sent her off in the first place. But she didn't have to like it when she would rather be taking part in romantic evenings and eating croissants by the Eiffel Tower. It just wasn't fair. She groaned in frustration and began hitting her head against the window, muttering, "Why? Why? I don't want to go!"

"Oh, calm down!" ordered a young man in army fatigues and heavy black boots with a sack at his feet. "What is the matter with you? Are you gonna be like that the whole flight? Cause if so, I'm going to move. I like peace and quiet when I fly."

"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. 'I know everything'" AnnaLynne spat. "It's just the first time I've ever been on a plane. It's perfectly natural that I might be a little nervous. Shut up, will you?"

"Sure," he grinned. "Whatever." He held out his hand. "I'm Gregory, by the way."

"I don't care," she hissed and turned to look out the window. Gregory…that name seemed familiar. Had her father's contacts mentioned that a man named Gregory was looking into the Amazon business as well? Was this him? She hoped not. He seemed like a giant pain in the ass.

"Hey," he said, making her turn away from the window and glare at him.

"What?" she spat.

"I'm gonna take a nap," he told her. "Will you wake me up when they come by with the drinks and the pretzels, please?"

"Sure," AnnaLynne nodded, her voice sarcastic. "We're good enough friends that it's perfectly natural I would be helpful to you."

"Good," Gregory shut his eyes. "Thank you."

AnnaLynne watched him sleep and then giggled to herself as an idea hit her. She zapped up a permanent marker and drew a mustache and glasses on the sleeping Gregory's face and to her delight, he didn't even wake up in the middle. She then went back to looking out the window until the snack cart came by and, as promised, she woke him up.

"Do you…do you know what happened with your face?" The shocked flight attendant asked.

"No," Gregory frowned. "What happened?"

"Here," AnnaLynne handed him a compact out of her carry-on. "Look and see."

"Oh, damn!" Gregory cursed and then ordered the strongest drink they had before frowning at AnnaLynne. "Did you do that?"

"Maybe," AnnaLynne grinned. "That'll teach you to fall asleep around me."

"Yeah," Gregory huffed, grateful that he always kept wet wipes in his pocket. "I guess so." He did the best he could to wipe his face off and sighed. This was going to be a _long_ flight.

* * *

"Just because I'm curious," Selina asked Dorian, "have you heard from AnnaLynne at all since you told her to go to France?"

"No," Dorian shook his head as they parked in the driveway after going to the grocery store with Jim and some of their other guards going along. "But I'm sure that if something went horribly wrong, she would tell me." He paused and sighed. "I just…I know you'll hate me for saying this, but I hope she's down there long enough that she's able to meet someone nice. She's always struggled with that and somehow I feel it's my fault."

"Well, maybe it is in some way, but the point is that when you sent her away, you were trying to help," Selina comforted him. "Now, do you want to go inside and make that meatloaf recipe or not?"

"No, I want to," Dorian asked and then turned to face Jim. "Would you get the door please?" He asked, indicating the shopping bags he and Selina both held. "Our arms are full at the moment."

"Sure," Jim nodded and pulled a key out of the ring on his hip. "No problem."

When the door was opened and they got inside, everyone was eager to help Selina unpack the groceries.

"Oh, no, you guys!" She shook her head and smiled. "The whole point of this is to thank you for all your hard work! You don't have to help us make your own 'Thank you' meal!" It took some time, but she finally convinced them to go sit in the living room and watch TV while she and Dorian handled things in the kitchen.

"How much cooking experience have you had?" Selina questioned. "Did Hazel make you cook in that trap or whatever it was that she put you and the other demons in?"

"Well, no," Dorian confessed. "But I would love for you to teach me. How did _you_ learn to cook? I thought your parents were wealthy."

"Yeah, they are," Selina nodded. "But I've spent so much time on my own that I didn't think it would hurt to learn how to be self-sufficient about something like cooking. I like it. It makes me happy." She smiled and plopped the raw hamburger down in front of him. "Now…will you wash your hands and mash that up for me while I get all the seasonings?"

"Okay," Dorian nodded. "Will do." He chuckled. "You know, I've never actually done this before. It should be an interesting experience. What if I screw it up?"

"You won't screw it up," Selina smiled, grabbing his face gently and kissing him. "You'll do great."

"Thank you," Dorian replied and washed his hands before getting to work mashing in the meat up so that Selina could mix it with the seasonings and stick it in the loaf pan. "I needed that." He paused and then chuckled. "You know, there's something oddly satisfying about this."

A wicked grin crossed Selina's face. "Oh, just you wait until I have you tenderizing meat. That's even _more_ satisfying."

They then kissed on more time before pulling apart and busying themselves with meal preparation so that everyone who was waiting to be fed would be in a timely manner and no one would go hungry. That wasn't something Selina wanted. She wanted people to be full and content when she cooked, more than anything else.

"All right," she called at last when the cooking was over and she and Dorian were putting food on the table. "Who wants to eat? If you're ready, come and get it!"

* * *

"Why aren't you getting out of the plane?" Gregory questioned AnnaLynne as their plane landed at the airport in Brazil and people began emptying out of it. "We've arrived. You have to get out."

"No," AnnaLynne crossed her arms and shook her head. "I won't get out. I'm not supposed to be here. I want to wait until the plane leaves to go somewhere else."

"And do you even know where you'll be going? What do you intend to do whenever you get there?" Gregory questioned, wanting so badly to just pick her up and carry her out of the plane no matter how much she protested. "Why don't you just come with me for a bit and then tomorrow, we can get you somewhere else."

"Oh, no," AnnaLynne shook her head at his generous offer. "I don't even know you! I…" She paused and really leaned forward to peer at him. "Wait a minute," she got out. "You seem sort of a familiar. I have a feeling I've seen you before. Do you know where it might have been?"

"No," Gregory shrugged. "Maybe I just have one of those faces."

"Let me think." AnnaLynne mused for a bit and then snapped her fingers. "It was at Selina's house! There was a picture of you on the mantle!"

"What were you doing at my mother's house?" Gregory questioned, his dark brows furrowed. "How do you know my mother?"

"She's married to my dad," AnnaLynne explained. "Did you know that?"

"Oh, god!" Gregory made a face and moved away from her. "That means we're step-siblings! How _awful_!

"Hey, have I ever said one bad thing about _you_?" AnnaLynne got out.

"No, but you drew all over my face when I was sleeping and made me look like a fool in front of that airline steward," Gregory told her and began power walking away from her. "That's just as bad."

"Oh, hey, no it's not!" AnnaLynne ran after him. "I thought it was funny! And the marker came off eventually, didn't it? You look fine."

"And so I'm just supposed to forgive you now?" Gregory questioned.

"Why not?" AnnaLynne shrugged. "Then you can leave and never see me again."

Gregory huffed and stomped back to her. "Fine, I forgive you," he got out. "And 'never' will be too soon for me."

"Bye!" AnnaLynne called after him and began following him when he was a good distance away. Something told her not to let him out of her sight.

"Stop following me!" Gregory cried when he saw her.

"Who says I'm following you? For all I know, we could coincidentally be going to the same place!"

"All right, if that's true, I can't stop you, but…just don't talk to me or touch me, okay?"

"Fine," AnnaLynne reached out and touched his long dark hair. "It'll be hard. But I can do it."

Gregory just scoffed, moved out of reach of her fingertips, and continued walking down the path to his hotel while she followed close behind him, stepping on his heels in silence.


	69. The Wrong Hotel Room

" _This_ is your hotel?" AnnaLynne asked, looking at the rundown building in shock as Gregory's mouth hung open beside her. "I would have thought you would spring for something ritzier. If I knew I'd end up at this hell-hole, I would have stalked someone else!"

"I'm sure this is the wrong address…" Gregory asserted and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, groaning when he saw that he and AnnaLynne were indeed in the right place. "Damn!" He swore. "I thought this was a _nice_ place."

"So what do we do now?" AnnaLynne questioned. "Surrender to fate and share a dirty, flea-infested mattress?"

"No!" Gregory took a few steps back. "Of course not! You're not coming with me!"

"So you're just gonna leave me on the street?" AnnaLynne called. "What a nice guy!"

"You can't manipulate me!" Gregory called as he strode toward the building. "I'm going in alone…" But when he reached the door, he heard his mother's voice in his head, and his father's too, lecturing him about saving a woman in distress. "Oh, seriously, brain!" He muttered to himself. "She's not like the women at the shelters. She can take care of herself. She just wants to annoy me."

Just then, a boom of thunder sounded and a sheet of rain began to fall, which made AnnaLynne shriek as the cold water covered her body, and she ran into the hotel entryway, pushing Gregory aside, because even being in the fleabag hotel would be better than being out in the cold, wet rain.

* * *

"I can't believe we actually came in here!" AnnaLynne muttered as they made their way into their small, dirty hotel room after Gregory paid the unwashed man in jean shorts and a plaid, sleeveless shirt the twenty dollar flat fee to spend the night. If it hadn't been for the storm, Gregory wouldn't have looked at the place twice.

"Well, you said you didn't want to be out in the rain!" Gregory pointed out. "And I asked around; from the sound of it, the other hotels are just as nice. Now, what side of the bed do you want?"

AnnaLynne gasped when she noticed that the sheets were moving. "What do you think is doing that?" She questioned and clutched at Gregory's arm. "Do you think our bed is already occupied?"

"No, it can't be!" Gregory replied and pushed her away to go check, then letting out a shriek when he saw the bed was infested with brown bed bugs. "Oh, fuck it!" He yelled. "That's it! I'm sleeping on the floor."

"No, you can have the bed!" AnnaLynne told him. "I insist."

"Oh, no!" Gregory backed away from the bed, feeling like he wanted to throw up. After doing that, he came out and implored of AnnaLynne, "You have magic, right? Can't you make the bed bugs go away? Can't you make this place nicer?"

"Well, I suppose I could," AnnaLynne nodded. "But can't we just leave?"

"I thought the whole point of us being here was because we didn't want to be out in the rain?" Gregory asked. "I'm not leaving until the rain stops."

"Oh, all right," AnnaLynne sighed and, with a wave of her hand, made the bed bugs disappear and then cautiously made her way to the bed. "Thank goodness. They're really gone." She was still wincing though when she got in the bed and pulled the blankets over herself. "All right, this is better. The room is still dirty, but as long as there aren't any bugs, it's okay, right?"

"Yeah," Gregory shrugged. "I guess. Now what about the rest of the room?"

AnnaLynne sighed. "You want me to make it all pretty? Now it feels like you're just taking advantage of me."

"Oh, fine," Gregory huffed. "We'll keep it dirty if that's what you want. You're the one with the magic."

"Damn right," AnnaLynne nodded. "And don't you forget it." She then got out her bag and began unpacking the fancy clothes that she'd brought with her when she thought she was going to Paris.

"Please don't tell me that those aren't what you're gonna wear," Gregory remarked, a smile on his lips.

"Of course," AnnaLynne nodded. "I mean, I know it's a bad idea from the look on your face, but when I packed, I thought I was going somewhere else, so there's nothing I can do now."

There was a long silence and Gregory sighed. "I think I over packed. You can have some of my clothes until we can get you others. Cause you definitely can't wear slinky black evening gowns around here."

AnnaLynne looked him up and down several times. "I don't know," she said. "I don't think your stuff will fit me. You're so tall!"

"Shrink them with your magic," Gregory shrugged. "And who knows? If you're nice to me, I might even let you keep them."

"Oh, how generous," AnnaLynne huffed and blew a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes before collapsing on the bed. "What do we do now? Is it still raining?"

"Of course it's still raining," Gregory replied, wondering how in the hell she could ask such a stupid question since the rain was clearly audible. "Can't you hear it?"

"Damn," AnnaLynne pouted. "I thought that was someone's TV or something. Or I _hoped_ it was."

"Nope," Gregory shook his head. "It's still rain outside." He paused. "Now, please don't take the question I'm about to ask the wrong way, but…would you like to slip into something a bit more comfortable? You have to be tired of being in that outfit." He was referring to her sky-high black heels and tight pants and top.

AnnaLynne just gave him a look. "Isn't that surprisingly forward of you to ask?"

"I told you that I didn't mean it that way," Gregory blushed, his eyes averted cause her top was low-cut as well, and showing some of what looked to be a good set of breasts. "Please just…I'll open my bag and you can grab a sweater and some jeans, all right?"

"Fine," AnnaLynne agreed. "But you better not peek or I'll hurt you!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Gregory assured her and pushed his bag in her direction. "Now, go into the bathroom and change."

"Don't you order me around!" AnnaLynne snapped and tried to give him a push. But he was so tall and solid that he didn't move.

"Are you done?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

AnnaLynne just gave him a look and kicked him in the shin before picking up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt while Gregory let out a rare curse word and hopped around the room. "Yes," she told him as he made her way to the bathroom. "I'm done." In the bathroom, she got on the brown shirt and jeans which, as she had suspected, would be way too big for her. Holding the waistband with one hand, she tried to leave the bathroom, but only got a few steps taken before she tripped over her cuffs and face-planted on the carpet.

"You should have fixed those before you tried to walk in them," Gregory told her as he grinned down at her prone body. "But at least you're dressed much better for the environment now."

"Well, that's something at least," AnnaLynne remarked as she tried to stand up. But then the jeans fell down again and Gregory got a momentary view of some very tiny white lace panties before AnnaLynne quickly used her powers to make the clothing the right size. "Did you see anything?" She asked. "Did you look?"

"No," Gregory shook his head. "I—I promise."

"You better be telling the truth!" AnnaLynne got out.

"I am!" Gregory insisted, hoping that he wasn't giving anything away. "You can shrink any other clothes you might need."

"Thanks," AnnaLynne told him. "But I think that aside from this outfit, everything I wear will be my own."

"All right," Gregory shrugged. "But you can't say I didn't offer."

"I don't need to be rescued by a man all the time," AnnaLynne remarked. "I can handle everything by myself, thank you very much."

"I wouldn't dream of trying to stop you," Gregory scoffed and got in the bed to take a nap. "Good luck."

* * *

"Okay, tell me again why you're stuck in a flea bag motel in the middle of Brazil?" Dorian asked when AnnaLynne called him to complain a few days later, her voice full of tears. "You _do_ know that since I sent you there on a job, you could have stayed somewhere nicer."

"I know, but…" AnnaLynne began. But she didn't want to continue because if she told her father that the reason she was where she was was because of a guy, she knew he wouldn't take it well.

"But what?" Dorian asked.

"I'm with a guy that I met, okay?" AnnaLynne got out.

"Oh, AnnaLynne!" Dorian cried in exasperation. "What are you _thinking_?"

"I met him on the plane over," AnnaLynne explained. "His name is Gregory and he claims to be Selina's son. Is she home? Can he talk to her?"

"Sure," Dorian sighed. "Just…just consider yourself lucky, all right?"

"All right," AnnaLynne replied and handed the phone to Gregory. "I hope you're ready to talk to your mother because she's gonna be on in a few seconds."

"Good," Gregory remarked. "I've been meaning to talk to her." He cleared his throat and then heard his mother's voice.

"Hi, honey!" Selina chirped. "How's Brazil? I know it doesn't matter to you if it's nice or not because you're so busy saving the downtrodden, but…is it nice?"

"No!" Gregory cried. "It turns out that the hotel I picked is a hellhole!"

"And are you still there? Why couldn't you have found a nicer place?" Selina questioned. "Find something four-star and use your powers to get a room."

"That would be hypocrisy, Mother!" Gregory cried. "I can't be helping poor women and staying in a four-star hotel or a five star hotel? How would that look?"

"Okay, you don't have to stay in a place that nice, but even when you're helping the downtrodden you deserve to be in a place that's clean," Selina reminded him. "You don't have to be somewhere that makes you uncomfortable or sick." She paused. "And did I hear something about you being there with AnnaLynne?"

"Yeah," Gregory nodded. "You should see some of the clothes she brought. She was totally unprepared. And I'm guessing you want me to look after her, right?"

"Well, she's old enough not to need a minder, but it wouldn't hurt for you to keep an eye on each other," Selina replied. "It would be nice if you did that."

"Oh, all right, I'll look out for her," Gregory huffed. "But I don't know if I like her…she's a bit much."

"She's also your half-sister, so at least be polite," Selina requested. "I know you're good at that."

"Yes, I suppose I am," Gregory sighed and looked at AnnaLynne for a second.

"You two take care of yourselves, all right?" Selina asked. "And don't forget to call us and tell us you're alive from time to time."

"We will," Gregory promised. "Goodbye, Mother."

He ended the call and handed AnnaLynne's phone back to her.

"Only dorks call their moms 'Mother'," she giggled. "It doesn't surprise me that you're a dork." She paused. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I…I'm here to help women in need," Gregory got out. "I had a bunch of shelters for abused and abandoned women back home and after my wife and I split up, I thought I would expand my operation to other countries. What about you?"

"Well, first of all, I'm sorry for the dork remark, cause that's really cool," AnnaLynne got out. "And second, I'm here because my father wants me to do some government work for him. He's the king of the demons, you know, and he says we're being threatening by some of our greatest enemies, and they're here, kidnapping women from hospitals or something. I've got to check it out and see just what we're up against."

"Oh," Gregory nodded. "Well…good luck with that."

"Thanks," AnnaLynne nodded before they both lapsed into awkward silence. Then she said, "You wanna leave and go find a better hotel?"

"Yes," Gregory nodded and stood up as three giant cockroaches made their way across the floor. "Yes, I do."


	70. Elijah Meets Sybil

"So…are we a couple now?" Sybil asked Klaus, her hand on his knee as they sat silently on the living room sofa. "I mean, of course we don't have to label anything if we don't want to, but…"

"If you want to call it us being a couple, that's fine with me," Klaus assured her. "But if that's what we are, it'll probably mean that my brother will want to meet you." He chuckled and shook his head. "You know, Elijah has never trusted my taste in women and the one woman he didn't hate the entire time is married to _him_ now, if you can believe it."

"Are you kidding?" Sybil questioned. "Wow, that must be awkward as hell."

"Not anymore," Klaus sighed. "It's not the first time."

"What?" Sibyl's jaw dropped.

"I mean, her highness, queen of the demons was married to me before she was married to my brother, before she was married to Dorian," Klaus rubbed his temple. "That's the truth."

"Damn," Sybil shook her head. "Just _thinking_ about that makes me want to have a good stiff drink." She stood up. "You want one?"

"Yes, please," Klaus nodded. "Whatever it is that you're having, just bring the bottle."

So Sybil brought out a bottle of bourbon and they finished it off together before she, her eyes closing, kissed his cheek and fell into his lap, mumbling, "Don't you worry; I won't fall in love with him. He sounds boring. I like you instead." Then she nodded off and began snoring loudly.

Klaus stared down at her with a grin on his face because despite the snoring, he still found her very attractive. Finally, he picked her up and carried her to bed, tucking her in, shutting off the light, and going to watch TV until she woke up again and yelled at him for a hangover cure, because he just knew she would.

* * *

"Your new girlfriend is someone that Dorian had in _prison_ at one point?" Elijah questioned the next day when Klaus decided to head him off at the pass and tell him about Sybil over the phone before he could talk about her himself and ask a lot of unnecessary questions. "Niklaus, I don't know if this is such a good idea…"

"Oh, stop!" Klaus snapped. "I know that you'll adjust to her anyway. Probably try and marry her once you've made her all good like you have with the others."

"I won't do that," Elijah promised. "But don't you think that the last thing you need is someone who encourages bad behavior in you?"

"No," Klaus said firmly. "I know her more than you do and there's much more to her than meets the eye. She's exactly what I need now, and I'm exactly what she needs. If you'd like to meet her, that's fine. But be nice. Or else things won't end well, brother."

"Well, let's hope it won't come to blows," Elijah replied in a subdued voice. "When will we see you?"

"I think we should get introductions over with as soon as possible, don't you?" Klaus questioned. "How does tomorrow work for you? Or should I wait for the weekend when you're not dealing with school business?"

"That's very generous of you," Elijah told him.

"I'm feeling generous so don't waste it," Klaus told him. "This weekend? Saturday afternoon? You and Amy will have some time to prepare that way." He paused and if you think having Sybil around will worry Lily, you can send her away too."

"Oh, no, don't worry about Lily," Elijah told him. "She knows all about Sybil, remember? She and Arthur are together so they both had to deal with the prospect of Sybil's shenanigans when we all thought she was gonna do something really drastic to get Eric on the throne instead."

"Right," Klaus nodded. "Of course. Good. Cause I really want this all to work out."

"Well, of course," Elijah nodded. "I do too. I want you to be happy, brother."

"Do you?" Klaus questioned. "I've always wondered. Anyway…see you at your house with Sybil Saturday afternoon?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Just let us know when you're coming and we'll be ready for you."

"And I promise I will tell Sybil to be presentable and on her best behavior," Klaus swore. "She'll behave if you will."

"It's a nice thought," Elijah replied dryly. "But I wouldn't want her to put up a façade just to impress me. I'd rather know what I'm up against from the beginning. If I've been able to deal with you for the last thousand years, I think I can handle Sybil too."

Klaus couldn't help but laugh. "I think you're taking her much too lightly, but whatever makes you comfortable, brother. See you Saturday."

* * *

"Are you as nervous as I am about my brother bringing Sybil to meet us?" Elijah asked Amy as she prepared to use her magic to clean the house before Klaus and Sybil arrived. "I admit that even though I told him to let me know exactly what I'm going to be up against, now I'm not so sure I should have."

"Oh, it'll be fine," Amy paused and hugged him. "Don't worry about it. It'll just be a couple of hours of chit-chat, if it even lasts that long. I'm sure they'll want to get out of here as soon as they can. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't want to linger."

"I hope you're right," Elijah remarked, going to stand behind her and threading her long red hair through his fingers. "Cause that would be awfully nice."

"Oh, I know it would," Amy told him, turning around, putting her arms around him, and giving him a kiss. "Why don't you go run a lint brush over your suit and check the wine, okay? We'll get through this. It'll be fine. You know that, right?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded as she gave him a slight push. "Yes, we will."

* * *

"You didn't need to dress like that, you know," Klaus remarked, looking at Sybil's white lace dress in surprise. "Really, it's not necessary."

"I want to make a good impression on your brother," Sybil remarked, checking her make-up in the rearview mirror as they drove to Elijah and Amy's. "He's gonna give you crap otherwise, right?"

"Well, of course," Klaus nodded. "But that's not new, he always does that. So please don't be afraid to be yourself. He's a grown-up. He can deal with it."

"Yeah," Sybil squared her shoulders and nodded before zapping herself into a rock-band t-shirt, a choker, and a pair of torn jeans. "He sure can."

And when they pulled up to Elijah and Amy's house, she just burst into laughter. "Oh, yeah," she got out between coughs. "I can tell just from the house that I am _really_ gonna enjoy this visit." They got out of the car and made their way to the front door. "Be honest," she asked after knocking. "Is a butler gonna let us in? I would love to see that."

"I don't know," Klaus answered.

To Sybil's disappointment, it was Amy who answered the door with a smile, greeted them, and ushered them inside. "Not that I need to say this to Klaus, but…Sybil, welcome to our house. It's very exciting to meet you."

"Thanks, but I know you're nervous as hell," Sybil told her. "You can say it."

"Well, it's always difficult to know what to expect when you're meeting a new person," Amy remarked and chuckled nervously. Then she cleared her throat. "All right, who wants wine? Then we can sit in the living room and talk."

"How come you don't have a butler?" Sybil questioned. "I thought you would be rich enough to have one."

"Oh, we have plenty of staff at the other houses," Amy explained. "But I have magic, so here we just decided to use that to help instead."

"Ah," Sybil nodded. "Okay."

They were already chatting and drinking in the living room when Elijah finally appeared. "Hello," he said. "Niklaus. Sybil. Sorry I'm late. I…I discovered I had a stain on my suit and had a heck of a time picking out another one to wear."

"Well, we're glad you finally did," Klaus smiled. "You look like you could use a drink. Get yourself something and sit down to chat with us. That's what this little visit is for, isn't it?"

"I'll get it," Amy said. "Elijah, you sit."

Elijah groaned and took a seat on the sofa that was across from both Klaus and Sybil and watched them with suspicion before Sybil finally spoke. "You have a very nice house," she got out.

"Thank you," he told her. "I bought all the antiques myself. Some of them are very old. Please don't touch them."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Sybil assured him and leaned against Klaus, who put an arm around her. "I'll just sit here quietly."

"Can I ask why Dorian wanted to have you in prison?" Elijah questioned.

"It wasn't for anything bad," Sybil assured him. "It wasn't like I killed anyone or anything. I just was bored and cheated on him and because he's a big baby, he called that a major betrayal and threw me in jail. Did I mention I was pregnant with our son at the time?"

"Oh," Elijah made a face. "I'm sorry."

"It's not like you did it," Sybil replied. "Don't worry. Anyway, we seem to be on good enough terms now. I mean, I don't _think_ he hates me."

"And do you plan on wreaking anymore havoc?" Elijah continued.

"No," Sybil shook her head. "I mean, not intentionally. Things might accidentally happen, but now that I'm with your brother here and we seem to be getting along, I don't feel the need to make trouble like I used to."

"Well, good," Elijah nodded and took a drink. "That's very nice to hear."

"A real relief for you, I bet," Sybil smiled.

"Yes," Elijah said. "Yes, it is."

"Can I ask what you all have against demons, anyway?" Sybil asked. "I'm curious."

"Well, I'm not as anti-demon as I was at first because we adopted one," Elijah explained. "You remember Arthur's girlfriend, Lily?"

"She's yours?" Sybil asked. "Why did you take her in?"

"Her parents were killed and my father was responsible for their deaths so when I found Lily among the club wreckage looking for her parents, I…felt I owed her something so I brought her home and that's where she's been ever since," Elijah shrugged. "I thought it would be hard to deal with at first, but it wasn't."

"And you're really not anti-demon?" Sybil raised an eyebrow.

"It's like what Lily and I said, the deal we made when we first laid eyes on each other," Elijah told her. "You don't hurt me, I don't hurt you. That's my policy on demons."

"That sounds reasonable enough." Sybil conceded. "But if you don't have anything against demons, why do you keep eying me with that disgusted look on your face, even though you think I can't see it."

"It's the jeans," Klaus whispered. "The holes. And I bet he's having trouble with the t-shirt too. But he'll get over it. One of his daughters dyes her hair neon colors all the time and she's his favorite child."

"Cool," Sybil nodded. "Excellent." Then she noticed Elijah didn't have any wine. "Can I get you a drink?" She offered.

He gave her a long look. "All right," he said at last, choosing to trust her, something he knew Amy would be proud of. "Thank you, I would appreciate it."


	71. The Demon's Party

"It's so good to hear that things are going well with you and the council," Rodan told Josh. "Are you planning on having some sort of a dinner party or something so you can get to know more members personally?"

"Well, what do you think?" Josh questioned. "Do you think I'm the sort of person who knows anything at all about hosting a dinner party?"

Rodan and Katherine just gave each other a long look, and then she came and put a hand on his shoulder. "That's all right," she said. "We can plan it for you. All you have to do is show up."

"Oh, don't coddle him," Rodan snapped at Katherine. "He needs to learn to do these things himself."

Katherine turned and glared. "And just how many dinner parties have _you_ planned, Rodan? Oh, right! None, because you have people to do it for you!"

Josh had to chuckle at that, but facing away from his father.

"That's different," Rodan said between his teeth.

"No, it's not," Katherine replied simply. Then, while Rodan continued to fume behind her back, she faced Josh and said, "Whatever you need us to help you with, we'll help you with. Don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks," Josh told her. "We'll probably be taking you up on it, but it's not a guarantee. Sarah's not much for dinner parties or cooking fancy so we might ask her dad. Who knows?"

"Well, like I said," Katherine told him. "Whatever you need us to do, if anything, we'll do it." She turned to face Rodan. "Right?"

"Yes," Rodan nodded. "I guess."

"Such enthusiasm!" Katherine grinned and reached out to touch his face and pinch his cheek. "Good for you!"

Rodan just glared at her and started to walk away. "Someone is going to get a talking to tonight," he informed her.

"Oh, don't go halfway," Katherine responded, a smile of challenge on her lips as she put a restraining hand on his arm. "Why don't you just say what you're really thinking and give me the spanking you think I deserve?"

"All right," Rodan nodded and picked her up. "Maybe I will!"

"And I guess that's my cue to leave!" Josh cried as his father zipped away with Katherine and he soon heard sounds coming from their bedroom that he wished he hadn't. "Bye!"

Of course there was no response, though. He just sighed, shook his head, and went to tell Sarah the news about the dinner. He kind of dreaded it because he knew that she would be just as thrilled about it as he was.

* * *

"They want us to have a _party_?" Sarah yelled, momentarily panicked when he got home and broke the news to her. "I don't have time to do that! I have a _job_! And we _know_ that I'm not the world's best cook. Oh, god, oh, god…" She collapsed on the sofa and began biting her nails, her dark eyes wide with worry.

"Don't worry," Josh tried to calm her down by cradling her like he did with Ellie. "Katherine and Dad (well, mostly Katherine) say that they'll plan the whole thing if we want and all we have to do is show up."

"Oh, all right," Sarah let out a relieved breath. "It's to meet all the council people, right? Which probably means that we shouldn't involve Ellie just yet."

"No," Josh reached out for his daughter, who was stomping around with a smile on her face and saying "Party!" over and over again. She was out of reach, but when he finally got hold of her hand, she reached up for him.

"I think we should leave her with your parents," Josh told Sarah. "Or whoever can watch her."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Of course." She paused, an idea coming into her head. "Wait a minute. Maybe if we planned it just right, we _could_ do some of the cooking and stuff. You're the unknown in all this. We could have a barbecue or something. Mom and Daddy would love to help, don't you think? It would really show them all what sort of a person you are. That could be good."

Josh shrugged. "I think that could work. "And maybe…maybe if we have a more casual atmosphere, having Ellie there wouldn't be so bad. She's well-behaved and adorable and the council people have to know she's part of our lives at some point and learn to work around her."

"Exactly," Sarah nodded. "If Dad's cooking, Mom can look after her or whatever. It'll work out." She smiled and took a breath. "I don't feel bad about this anymore. That's a good thing."

"Yes," Josh nodded. "Yes, it sure is."

"So you want to have a party to help the demon council get to know Josh on a more personal level?" Her father questioned.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded as they sat in Matthew and Christine's living room. "It was Rodan's idea. At first we were thinking of having them plan some fancy dinner party, but that won't really help them get to know what Josh is really like, will it? Could you help us do a barbecue or something? I know it's a lot of work and I understand if the answer is 'No', but…"

"Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Christine cried. "And it won't be any trouble. Your father knows how to grill…I can help using my magic. Things will get done in no time at all."

"How much time do we have?" Matthew questioned. "Is there time for me to go hunt for the meat myself, or should I just get it from the store?"

"Well, whatever you want," Sarah shrugged. "We haven't even settled on a date for this party thing yet."

"Be sure and give yourself time," Christine warned. "Don't think you have to do it tomorrow or next week if you don't feel you're ready. And even if it's a more casual event, I think sending out invitations and having a number for RSVPs is a good idea because it'll help us figure out how much food we need."

"Good point," Sarah nodded. "I'll get right on that."

"I'll help you," Christine told her.

"Thanks," Sarah smiled and squeezed her mother's hand. "I need all the help I can get. I'm in over my head and I have no idea what I'm doing."

* * *

"Oh, no!" Josh cried as he looked at the mail and fell to the floor. He and Sarah had insisted that everyone RSVP so they would know how much food to make, just as Christine had suggested, and people were doing a good job of responding.

"What's the matter?" a panicked Sarah asked as Ellie ran after her on chubby legs and said "Up! Get up!"

"Did someone cancel?" Sarah asked once he was on his feet.

"No, no," Josh shook his head. "One of the demons who just sent in his letter…I'd recognized his name but I couldn't think of where I'd heard it from and I just…I realized now. His daughter is someone I dated a long time ago and his note says…it says that he's bringing her and her boyfriend along with him."

"If she's got a boyfriend, what's the problem?" Sarah questioned.

"Just wait," Josh told her and cuddled Ellie, which was starting to become a reaction to stress for him. "You'll see."

* * *

"Has she showed up yet?" Josh kept asking as Sarah peered out the window by the front door and they let in the guests one by one, offering them a drink and a place to sit. His girlfriend's father had come earlier and said that she and her date would be arriving fashionably late, which had Josh on edge.

"I don't know!" Sarah snapped. "You keep asking that and I don't know what to say because I have no idea what your girlfriend looks like!"

"Bright red hair, big blue eyes, usually wears a lot of black," Josh pressed his face up against the window. "Just where are they? This is going to drive me nuts!"

"Well, then, why don't you go help my dad in the kitchen?" Sarah suggested. "Or go play for a bit with Ellie? That always calms you down. I think she's in Katherine and your father's bedroom."

Though they hadn't taken up Katherine and Rodan's offer to plan the party, they'd decided to use one of Rodan's houses as the location because it had more room than the apartment to hold everyone they were expecting.

"All right, I'll go and play with Ellie for a little while," Josh promised, taking Sarah in his arms and giving her a kiss. "But when Kerry shows up, you tell me."

"Oh, of course," Sarah nodded and began nudging him away from the door. "Go now, please. It'll be better for your nerves. And maybe get a small drink, too."

When he was finally on his way, she turned back to the window just in time to see a car pull up near the house. The light by the garage showed the car was black and resembled a hearse, even though Sarah was sure that wasn't what it was. A driver in a black uniform hopped out, opened the passenger door, and let out a woman with red hair and a black dress slit up the thigh.

"Oh, damn," Sarah cursed. There was Kerry. Jealousy began to pool in her belly. The demon was beautiful.

A few seconds after Kerry emerged from the car, she was joined by a young man who seemed to be wearing a suit, although he didn't take her hand and kept to the shadows, so Sarah couldn't get a good look at him.

When they rang the doorbell, Sarah paused a moment before answering to compose herself. She could handle it. She could handle running into one of Josh's exes because he loved _her_ now, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Kerry had a boyfriend, so what danger could they be?

Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the door, ready to greet Kerry with composure and grace, but that fell apart when she finally got a good look at her date, who nudged her aside and took Sarah's hand.

"Hello, Sarah," Junior smiled. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. You don't answer any of my calls. I wanted to see my daughter, so…when I heard about the party, I thought this was the only way to get in. Brilliant plan, wasn't it?"


	72. Not Here For A Fight

Sarah felt sick to her stomach for a moment before she got her composure, pulled her hand out of Junior's, and gave him a good, hard slap. "I suppose it was clever," she told him. "But don't you get it? I don't want you seeing Ellie at all! That's why I didn't answer your calls."

"Hey, what's going on here?" Kerry questioned, pushing Junior aside and glaring at Sarah. "Get your paws off my date! What going on? Tell me right now?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Sarah snapped and pushed her into Junior's arms. "If you want him, you can have him."

But Junior just dropped the pretty demon on the floor and followed Sarah as she went to warn Josh that Kerry had arrived, just as he'd asked her to.

"Would you _leave_?" Sarah asked impatiently after turning to glare at him. "I don't want you here!" She paused. "No, don't respond to that just yet!"

She then knocked on the door and called to Josh, and just as Josh opened the door, Junior grabbed Sarah and kissed her hard, looking at Josh with a grin on his face, eager to see what he would do.

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?" Josh questioned. "Cause if that's what you want, I'll give it to you."

"Oh, will you?" Junior smiled wickedly. "I'd like to see you try."

"Just a minute," Josh replied, looking at Sarah out of the corner of his eye. "You don't mind if we fight, do you? You want to have a go at him first?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded and gave Junior such a hard punch in the nose that they heard it break and he fell to the floor. "All right," she told Josh, disdain obvious in her voice and blood on her knuckles. "You can have him now. And don't worry about being gentle."

Kerry then grabbed Sarah by the throat and lifted her up to her toes. "What do you think you're doing?" She hissed.

"I'm standing up to a man who wronged me!" Sarah choked out. "You know he doesn't like you. You know he only brought you here in a lame attempt to make me jealous."

A bitter smile curved Kerry's lips. "Did he now? Well, that's not very nice, is it?" Then, when she made sure Sarah was looking after letting her go, she put her arms around Josh's waist and whispered in his ear. "Beat him up good," she whispered. "And then, when you're done, you can come sit next to me at the dinner table. I'll save you a seat."

"Hey!" Sarah cried. "That's my husband, you bitch!"

"You know what?" Kerry smirked. "I really don't care." She then gave Josh a wave and sauntered off as Sarah whispered in Josh's ear, "beat Junior up good."

"Oh, I will," Josh told her. "You'll give the guests my regrets and tell them I'll be on my way once I finish with this?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded and kissed him. "Of course."

"Oh, just stop!" Junior huffed. "If you wanna fight, stop stalling and just get it over with!"

"All right," Josh nodded. "Sure. Whatever you say."

And Sarah grinned to herself as she headed back to the table, yells of pain, and the sounds of hitting and punching ringing in her ears.

* * *

The room was silent as Junior and Josh, who were both bruised and bleeding, came to join the rest of the demons at the table. They all stared at each other, there was an odd silence, and then everyone burst into applause.

It took Josh a while to realize they were applauding him, something that Junior took advantage of so that he was sitting next to Sarah, and then when Josh turned, a disgruntled Kerry gave him a wink and patted the empty seat beside her.

"It seems like I don't have anyone to sit with," she told him in a breathy voice. "Won't you join me?"

"Don't you ask him that you…you…whore!" Sarah cried and rose to her feet. "He's my husband! He should be sitting with _me_!"

"You should have thought of that before you stole my date," Kerry told her and pulled Josh into the empty chair while Sarah seethed across the table and pushed Junior out of his chair, ordering him to go sit somewhere else. She then prepared to launch herself at Kerry until Selina stood up and halted the fight.

"Okay, okay, enough!" She cried. "We're not here to fight. We're here to get to know Josh as one of our future leaders, okay? We already had one fight. We don't need another."

The rest of the demons groaned and sat back in their seats. "How long until we get food?" One of them asked Selina.

"Just a minute," Selina rose gracefully to her feet. "I'll go check. It can't be too much longer." She went into the kitchen where her father and Christine were cooking. Just as she stuck her head in, she saw them nuzzling each other and laughing and that feeling that she was trying so hard to get rid of, the one that she felt every time she saw her father happy with Sarah, or Ellie, or Christine: that he was better off now and probably would have been happier without her in his life because she was the product of a marriage that he didn't want to be in in the first place. She watched them for a few seconds more, turned away to compose herself, and then knocked on the kitchen doorframe.

"How much longer is there to wait?" She asked. "The crowd is getting restless."

"It won't be too long," Matthew promised, smiling at her as he took her in his arms and held her for a while. "You look nice," he whispered. "And I'm so proud of all that you've done."

"Thank you," Selina smiled. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome," Matthew replied.

When they finally separated, Christine handed her a plate of appetizers. "If you took this out to them, it might make them feel more willing to wait for the main course." She paused, looking at Selina uncertainly. "Is it good manners to give it to you?" She asked. "Or should I find one of the footmen to take it?"

"No, I can take it," Selina told her and grabbed the tray. "I didn't lose the use of my hands and arms when I became queen."

"I thought that was what you would say, but I figured I would check," Christine smiled. "And does anyone need drinks?"

"It would probably be best just to keep the wine flowing," Selina told her. "When you're free, bring a couple of bottles out."

"All right," Christine nodded. "I'll be out with refills in a second."

"And I will go out and make sure that no more fights have broken out," Selina said.

She excused herself and went back to the dining room where everything seemed peaceful, although Kerry and Sarah were still glaring at one another across the table and Selina was sure that if they weren't separated, there _would_ be a fight. So she got up again and said to Dorian, "Do you think we should have Katherine and Rodan or someone watch out for Sarah and the lady she's glaring at so there's no trouble? I want this to be a nice evening and we've already had one fight."

Dorian chuckled. "I suppose we could do that, but it's just like what we talked about when it came to demons and sex. Fights at parties are okay. They can be considered part of the fun, so we could have all the fights we needed to and it would still be considered a successful evening."

Selina gave him a look. "But-"

"Okay, okay," Dorian assured her. "I'll talk to Rodan and Katherine and see if they can't be an extra set of eyes, especially once the food comes." He pulled her into his lap for a moment and kissed her hand. "If you want this to be a civilized evening, it will be."

"Thank you," Selina hugged him as her father, Christine, and some servants brought in soup. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

* * *

"I didn't mean to beat up Junior," Josh told Sarah later that night when they were at home and in bed. "Well, I did, actually. I hope you're not mad at me."

"About Junior?" Sarah scoffed. "You could have killed him and I wouldn't have given a damn. But what about you and that Kerry? You don't still like her, do you?"

"No, I don't," Josh swore, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. "I would never like her, especially now that I have you, all right? What would possibly make you think otherwise?"

"I don't know," Sarah shrugged. "The way she was looking at you. The look on your face when you saw her. How she was putting her hands all over you at dinner. If your father and Katherine hadn't been keeping an eye on the situation, who knows how far she would have tried to go?"

"Do you honestly think I would have let her even try?" Josh wanted to know.

"I would hope not," Sarah told him. "Cause you're the best guy I could have found and it would break my heart to lose you and have to start looking all over again." She leaned against him and put his arms around her.

"Let's put it this way," Josh told her and kissed her hair. "The closest thing you have to competition for me is a tiny little girl with big brown eyes and a love of stuffed animals who calls me 'Dada'. Other than her, you don't have anything to worry about."

"Good," Sarah smiled as they helped each other off with their clothes. "Cause Ellie was never a worry anyway."


	73. The Customer's Not Always Right

Sarah was looking down at her phone over her lunch break at work when she heard a hand bang on the table and her head came up, her mouth twisting as she found herself face to face with the female demon Junior had brought to the party the night before.

"Whatever you want will have to wait," she told her. "I'm on my lunch break and I'm not serving anyone right now."

"Oh, my god!" the woman's eyes widened. "You're the girl from the party…the one that Josh claimed to like! And here you are working at the snack bar of the gym! Oh, how funny!"

"And what was your name again?" Sarah asked. "Casey? Kimmy…I met lots of people, and I guess you just weren't worth remembering."

The demon scowled. "Kerry," she got out. "My name is Kerry. And I came over here to tell you to enjoy things with Josh while you can. Cause he'll get bored with you soon. I can tell it just from looking at you."

"Oh, fuck off!" Sarah whispered angrily and threw a smoothie all over the demon's tiny and tight black workout outfit.

Kerry let out a shriek as Sarah burst out laughing. "You're gonna pay for this!" She shouted. "I'm gonna see that you get fired! You'll be sorry! You'll be sorry!"

"Not really," Sarah called after her once she'd snapped a picture of her smoothie-covered adversary. "Whatever happens to me is worth it just to see the look on your face."

* * *

Of course she wasn't so foolish to believe that nothing would happen to her as a result of her less than stellar customer service skills, so she was prepared when Patrick approached the snack bar and told her that they needed to have a talk.

"Let me guess," she said dryly. "I'm fired because I threw a smoothie at a woman who was badgering me on my lunch break."

"Not fired," Patrick reassured her. "But put that note on the counter that says you'll be back in a bit and come with me."

"All right," Sarah sighed and followed him to his office where, much to her surprise, Dorian and Selina were waiting. "Oh, my god," she breathed. "I didn't know you were gonna get dragged into this. I didn't know that I was gonna drag you away from really important stuff to deal with a momentary display of temper. If you have better things to do, you can just say I'm fired and we can go on our way."

"Well, do you want to be fired?" Dorian questioned. "Cause we can arrange that. But I'm pretty sure you'd like to stay and that's why we're here: to find a way to make that possible."

"Oh," Sarah let out a breath and collapsed into a chair, pushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "Well, thank you. Cause I _really_ don't want to be fired."

"So what happened?" Selina asked.

"You're gonna think it's really dumb, but…" Sarah sighed and leaned forward. "Okay, so I was on my lunch break, right? Looking at my phone stuff when Kerry comes up to the counter and starts banging on it to get my attention. I thought it was because she wanted food or something so I told her she would have to wait a little while cause I was on my lunch break. Then, when she saw my face, she remembered that I was at the party, and with Josh, and began going on and on about how he would get bored with me and stuff and it just…it would stop. She wouldn't go away. So I…I lost my temper and I threw the smoothie on her."

"And that's it?" Dorian raised an eyebrow. "You didn't hurt her or anything?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "I _swear_." She took out her phone and showed the picture, so Dorian and Selina were able to see that Kerry was covered in smoothie but not bruises. "See?"

"Well, that seems pretty straight-forward," Selina nodded. "I think we're all in agreement that you shouldn't have thrown the smoothie, but it sounds like you were provoked and considering our father's occasionally violent way of dealing with troublesome people, I would say you handled it very well."

"Thank you," Sarah replied. "So what do we do now? Do you think that based on how determined Kerry is to see me be taken down for what I did, we should come up with some show punishment so she thinks she has victory."

"If you're agreeable to that, that could be good," Selina nodded. Then she looked at Patrick. "How long do you think you could spare her from work?"

Patrick thought a moment. "What about a week?" He asked. "With pay, of course. Although we'll be the only ones who know that."

"That seems fair," Sarah nodded. "Will it be hard to find someone to replace me in that time?"

"Well, you're irreplaceable," Patrick smiled at her. "But yeah…it shouldn't be a problem for someone to take over the counter for a few days. And if that Kerry shows up again at any time and gives you trouble, come looking for me, all right? No matter what I'm doing…tell me and I'll deal with her. At least until you come to power and can turn her into a bug and squish her without consequence." He grinned.

"Oh, hey now," Dorian warned. "It's not like that's gonna happen tomorrow or anything. Selina and I still have _many_ good years left."

"Sure you do," Patrick nodded. "I wasn't trying to imply that you didn't. I was just giving hope to Sarah when it came to dealing with malcontents like Kerry in future."

"Yep, and it helps," Sarah smiled. "She was very smarmy about the fact that I ran the snack bar, but that's not how it's gonna be forever…heh heh heh." She paused. "So…do you want me to leave now, or finish off the day, or what?"

"I think that it might be better for you to go now if we want to maintain the fiction that we're actually disciplining you," Patrick told her. "The harder we work at it, I think the less likely it will be that Kerry will cause us trouble." He paused. "Do you need me to drive you home? I know you usually zap yourself home after work, but…"

"Oh, no, thanks," Sarah smiled. "I'm sure Josh will be around to come and get me. I really want to tell him about it. I can't wait to see the look on his face." She then turned to Selina and Dorian and took both their hands. "Thanks for coming down here personally to help me deal with this when I know you probably have much more urgent things to do."

"It's not a problem," Selina assured her. "Stopping you from being unjustly thrown out of your job because some demon who falsely believes she's better than you are has a chip on her shoulder is important, too. Now, I can stay until you're able to get hold of Josh, if you want."

"No, no, thanks," Sarah shook her head and gave her sister a hug. "I'll manage. You go help the children."

"All right," Selina told her. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," Sarah promised and then headed out into the hallway by Patrick's office to give Josh the call to come and pick her up.

* * *

"Now tell me again why you're off work for a week?" Josh asked as he drove Sarah home from the gym. "What did you do? Did you hurt someone?"

"Well, no!" Sarah shook her head. "I mean, I did something I should not have done, admittedly, but there was no injury to anyone and that ex of yours is a big pain in the ass! If I had had my gun at the time, I would have…" she made a gun shooting motion with her pointer finger and thumb.

"Kerry caused you trouble at the gym today?" Josh asked in amazement.

"She was starting stuff about how since I'm just a lowly snack bar worker, you won't be interested in me for long and bullshit like that," Sarah explained. "I tried to ignore her, but finally, she pushed me too far and I poured a smoothie all over her workout clothes, then she tattled on me and now everyone has to believe I'm in trouble so she can think she has victory and won't be a pain in the butt anymore." She sighed. "I bet you hate me now, right?"

"No!" Josh shook his head. "I'm actually really proud of you and I wish I could have seen what she looked like covered in smoothie."

Sarah gave a mischievous grin. "When we get to the stoplight, I'll show you. I have a picture on my phone."

So when they stopped at the stop light, she grabbed her phone from her purse that sat beside her in the back and leaned forward to show Josh the picture.

"Well, look at that," he grinned. "You had very good aim. She's practically covered from head to toe."

"Thank you for noticing," Sarah chuckled as Josh started the car again. "I'm proud of it too." She paused. "Are we gonna pick Ellie up from wherever you dropped her off before we get back to the house?"

"Well, your parents have her, so I think it might be doing them a favor to let them keep her for a few more hours," Josh said. "I don't think they'd object. Do you?"

"No," Sarah shook her head and continued to chuckled at the picture of Kerry. "Not a bit."

* * *

Despite the bravado that she'd first shown when Kerry had spoken to her, as the days of her 'suspension' ticked by, she began to wonder, even just a little bit, if maybe Kerry was right about her and Josh not lasting forever. She knew for the moment that they were solid, but what about when he really got into the government stuff? What if she made a lousy government wife and he had to go for someone more polished and sophisticated? That could happen. And what about other stuff? Did he want a sexier woman? He'd obviously been into the really sexy type once if he and Kerry had been a couple. That wasn't her forte either!

As this ate away at her, she began to make trips to the mall and buy nice clothes and sexy underwear, trying them on when she thought Josh wouldn't be around, going into one store at a time and buying a few bags at each place. She didn't know how long she could keep up the subterfuge, though.

Finally, the inevitable day came when she was found out. "Hey!" He poked his head in while she had on a small black lace teddy and she let out a shriek and covered herself up with her hands as if he were looking at her naked. She practically was.

"What?" She asked, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Don't you knock?"

"Ellie and I were just going to the aquarium and I wondered if you wanted to join us," Josh told her. "What's the matter? Why are you dressed like that?"

Sarah sighed. "I know you'll think it's silly, but…" she sat down on the bed and covered up with one of his shirts that was on the comforter. "Ever since Kerry called me out, I've been a little nervous. I mean, I wasn't at first, but then I realized that you haven't talked a lot about your past. The sort of stuff you were into before. Clearly you liked a really sexy type of woman, so I thought…I thought I would try and give you that. I don't want you to get bored with me and go back to someone like her."

Josh's jaw was hanging open now as he looked her over. "Will you take off the shirt?" He asked. "I want to get another good look at what you're wearing. Do you have other clothes like that?" He paused. "And before I forget, even though I love the new look, I will never get tired of authentic Sarah, all right? It's who I fell in love with and that will never change. I haven't been with a woman like Kerry in years and I don't intend to start again. Now, do you have some more clothes like that?" He repeated. "I mean, if you can call them clothes."

"Yes," Sarah whispered in his ear. "And if you're nice to me, maybe I'll let you see them." She nibbled on his earlobe and pushed him back onto the mattress.

"Wait a minute now," Josh told her, a grin on his lips as she removed the shirt and unzipped his pants. "Ellie's in the car. We can't just leave her out there."

"You left Ellie in the car?" Sarah asked, her sexy mood broken for a moment. "You didn't close the door, did you? She's not locked in and in danger of dying, right?"

"No, I left it open, don't worry," Josh assured her. He got out of bed and zipped his pants up again. "Let me go out and get her, and then we can continue this, okay?"

"All right," Sarah grinned. "Just don't take too long."

"When I know that I have this waiting for me?" Josh scoffed as he gestured at her. "Not a chance!" So he ran out and got a very distressed Ellie, who was screaming, "Fishies! Fishies!" as the doors in the house opened and closed with loud bangs to demonstrate her frustration, because she wanted to go to the aquarium when that clearly wasn't happening, set her down in her room, shut the door and then, when everything was quiet, went to see Sarah again.

"Let me guess," Sarah grinned as she sauntered over to Josh and ran her fingers through his hair. "She's not happy about the delay."

"No, not really," Josh grinned and cupped Sarah's bottom as she picked at his shirt buttons again. "But we'll make it up to her."

"Yeah," Sarah kissed him and then used her magic to make all their clothes disappear before running her hands all over him and making them both fall back onto the mattress. "We sure will."


	74. Seeing Old Friends

On Sarah's first day back at work after her suspension, Josh decided to drive her in case Kerry was there and wanting to pick a fight. It turned out to be a good idea because the second they walked in, she was lying in wait, pushing Sarah aside and grabbing Josh's arm to pull him away with her.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "You know we're not together anymore. And we never will be!"

"Are you sure?" Kerry questioned and pushed him down into a chair.

"Yes," Josh nodded and watched Sarah try and get to her feet, wanting so badly to help her, but not being able to since Kerry was sitting down in his lap and probably wouldn't let him leave anyway.

"So you're telling me that you'd rather be with _her_ than come back to how things used to be?" Kerry asked in a breathy voice and ran her hand down Josh's chest. "You miss it. Even if it's just a small part of you. Don't deny it."

"Actually," Josh grinned at her and moved her hand. "I don't miss it at all."

"Yes," Kerry nodded and then kissed him, although he didn't kiss her back. "You do."

When they pulled apart, Josh began to realize that telling Kerry 'No' would not dissuade her from going after him and possibly hurting Sarah. So he would do what she wanted and go to the old neighborhood…if only to keep an eye on her.

He sighed and gave her a smile. "All right," he said. "I'll come to the club tonight. Will you tell people I'm gonna be there?"

"Of course I will," she promised, licking her lips as she ran her hands over the stubble on his cheeks. "Can't wait to see you. You want me to go tell your wife you'll be out so she'll have to make other plans? I'd be happy to."

"Of course you would, but don't you dare!" Josh told her.

"Why not?" Kerry asked. "Doesn't she trust you?"

"Oh, shut up!" Josh scowled. "She'll find out the truth. I'm not gonna lie to her. But I think it would be better for all concerned if she heard about tonight from me, and not from you." He showed her his teeth. "You can go now. I think there's finally an exercise bike open for you."

"All right, I'll go," Kerry replied. "But you really should do something about the fact that you don't seem to think Sarah can trust you. It'll be better for your relationship."

"Like you give a shit about what happens in our relationship," Josh said. "You don't. At least not when it comes to anything positive."

"Yes, yes," Kerry sighed. "I'm beginning to get bored with this conversation. You're repeating yourself over and over." She finally got off his lap and tottered away on black high heels that were definitely not appropriate for a gym. But he quickly had something else to distract his mind: Sarah. He ran over to the snack counter and sat down as she turned and glared at him. "Thanks for helping me up back there," she told him, the sarcasm heavy in her voice. "Or was it that you were so eager to have Kerry's hands all over you that you couldn't take a minute for me?"

"You saw how she grabbed me," Josh snapped. "But doesn't it matter at all that I'm here talking to you now? I'm sorry about Kerry, I'm sorry I didn't help you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He sighed. "Let me guess: you're gonna go sneaking around with Junior to get back at me."

"It's not actually sneaking if you suspect it," Sarah pointed out. "And no, I'm not. Regardless of how irritated I am, I wouldn't do something I know would hurt you badly just to deal with it. I'm mad, but dealing with Junior would make me madder. Now, are you going to order something or not? If you're not, get up. You're taking up a stool that could be going to an actual _paying_ customer."

Josh got up and kept his eyes on her. "Would you like me to come pick you up at the end of the day? I know what your answer will be, but I feel I should ask anyway."

"No, thank you," Sarah replied in a clipped voice. "I'll get home fine on my own."

"Good," Josh nodded. "See you tonight." He then left the gym to go pick up Ellie from Matthew and Christine's house, hoping that at least _she_ would be happy to see him.

* * *

Incredulously, however, that turned out not to be the case. When Josh went to get Ellie, she was unwilling to leave Matthew's arms and wouldn't even look Josh in the eye. "Fishie…" she muttered before burying her head in Matthew's shoulder.

Josh was surprised. He didn't know that kids as young as she was could hold grudges.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Matthew commented. "She doesn't usually act like this. Do you think she's sick? Maybe we should get her a doctor."

"No, it can't be that," Christine shook her head. "She's probably just tired or in a bad mood. That happens. She'll get over it."

"Everyone seems to be mad at me today." Josh commented and sat down heavily. "Even Sarah."

"Is she still upset about Junior showing up at the party?" Matthew questioned. "Cause I can't deny that _I_ was."

"Apparently, Junior's not even a problem anymore," Josh remarked. "I guess the beating I gave him had an impact, at least for now. _Now_ she's upset because she thinks my old girlfriend that I don't like anymore is putting the moves on me and I'm reciprocating."

"And you're not, are you?" Matthew questioned before he could stop himself."

"Matthew!" Christine chided. "How could you ask that?"

"I don't know," Matthew sighed. "I'm sorry, Josh. I know you would never do anything to hurt Sarah. I just…"

"You don't like seeing her upset," Josh nodded. "I get it." He sighed. "Don't get me wrong; I understand why she's mad, but…Kerry knows how important Sarah is to me and if I don't watch Kerry like a hawk, Sarah could get hurt!"

"Just don't forget about Sarah while you're watching Kerry," Matthew told him. "Don't get so swept up in doing what seems right that you forget about what or who you're protecting in the first place. It's not an easy thing to live with."

Christine put a hand on Matthew's arm and Josh nodded. "I won't forget," he promised. "I swear." Then he got down on the floor next to Ellie, who tried to run away from him, but of course he was able to grab her and watch her eyes widen as he zapped up a fish bowl with a gold fish in it. "There," he told her, even though he knew Sarah would frown on using bribery to get Ellie's affection, especially since it would be the two of them that would be dealing with the fish. "There's a fish for you. Are you happy?"

Ellie smiled and clapped and gave Josh a hug. "Fishie!" She cried. "Tank you."

"You're welcome," Josh remarked. "Now, what do you say we get it home?"

"Okay," Ellie nodded.

Christine helped Josh get Ellie and the fish to the car, and he very carefully drove home so he wouldn't spill any water on the backseat. Then, he set up the bowl in Ellie's room, right by her crib so that it was always in her sight. He left her watching the fish intently through the bars of her crib, glad for the quiet that was undoubtedly going to pervade the house for the rest of the day. He would need to rest up for when he had to face Sarah again tonight if she was still mad at him by then. Especially considering that he was gonna have to tell her about going to the club. He knew she would suspect Kerry's involvement in that decision somehow, and he hoped that instead of dwelling on that, she would give him points for honesty, but he couldn't be sure.

* * *

"I made plans to go out and meet some old friends tonight," Josh told Sarah when she got home from work. She had calmed down a lot and apologized the moment she'd come through the door, although he could still tell she wasn't over the moon about his former paramour being in their lives. "Is that okay? Are you gonna be all right watching Ellie?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "Go out and see your friends…I was going to suggest you should." She paused. "But I know I don't need to say anything about Kerry, do I?"

"No!" Josh shook his head. "Of course you don't need to say anything about Kerry."

"Good, because I saw her kiss you earlier," Sarah's eyes narrowed. "She seems very determined to get at you."

"Well, she won't," Josh told her and gave her a kiss, then took Ellie out of her high chair and gave her a hug. "I'll be home in good time, I promise."

"Have fun," Sarah told him. "There's no need to rush, but if you're not in a fit state to come back on your own, call me."

"All right," Josh nodded and got in his car, driving to The Inferno, another all demon club and one of his old hangouts.

"Well, hello, there, tiger," one of the waitresses sauntered over to him and urged him to a table right up front that gave him a good view of the dancing girls. "What can I get you for a drink? Your usual? We were all so glad when Kerry told us you were visiting tonight. It's been a long time."

"Sure," Josh nodded, even though he didn't plan on drinking a lot. "Keep them coming."

"All right," she nodded. "Coming right up." She sauntered off and Josh kept his eyes on the table at first, not wanting to look at what was ahead of him. Then he changed his mind. The whole point of this was to prove to Sarah, Kerry, and himself, that his relationship with Sarah was solid and no one else mattered, so why the hell shouldn't he look if it wouldn't mean anything? He brought his head up and watched the show, drinking the first two drinks he was given, then using his magic to make the rest disappear before the next glass came.

It didn't take long for some of his friends to find him and join him at his table, so at least he could look Sarah in the eye and tell her that he _had_ seen some old friends at the club, just as he'd said. And he was glad to see them. He hadn't realized until just then that it had been quite a while since he'd had a night out to himself and he made the most of it, short of going home with a date.

"I see one of those girls looking at you," his friend Jack nudged him and gave him a wink as a woman from the show came toward their table. "Are you gonna go and have a little fun? She looks like she's ready to give you a good spanking. I believe that's her specialty."

"She's pretty, but…no," Josh shook his head. "I just came here to watch the show, have a few drinks, and see my friends."

"So I can ask her out then?" Jack asked. "You won't mind?"

"Oh, go ahead," Josh encouraged, grateful that none of the women who'd stopped by so far were Kerry. "Knock yourself out."

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!"

Sarah had gone to bed about an hour before Josh returned at one in the morning, but at the sound of his whisper in her ear, she opened her eyes and peered at him, sitting up and taking the flowers he held out to her. "These are lovely," she said in a dry voice. "But…is the reason I got them just because you wanted to be sweet and get me flowers?" She paused. "Or is it something else? Did you sleep with a girl tonight? Did that Kerry get the best of you and now these flowers are your apology?" She sat up and squinted at the clock. "Where does a person get flowers this early in the morning?"

"No!" Josh shook his head and her deep frown relaxed. "The flowers are partly to apologize for being out so late tonight and also for zapping up that gold fish for Ellie."

"I'm sorry, but I just…every time you go to that club, I'm going to wonder," Sarah told him. "I _want_ to trust you. I do. It's just that after what happened with Junior…" she sighed. "You understand why it's hard, right? And I forgive you about the gold fish cause it's a small price to pay for you and Ellie to get along, and it's not like it's a puppy."

"I can deal with how you feel, cause I have to go to the club to keep up appearances," Josh told her. "I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for _us_! I know that if I don't keep an eye on Kerry, or at least keep her thinking that I'm still involved with our old group, she'll go after you and Ellie to make sure I am. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Sarah sighed. "I understand it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Do you want me to throw the flowers away?" Josh asked, even though they were nice pink roses.

"No, don't throw them away," Sarah told him. "But don't try to use such transparent ways to apologize for what you're doing either. It's not going to help."

"All right," Josh nodded. "I won't. I'll just be honest from now on. I'll tell you when I'm going and tell you when I come back and that's it."

"You better," Sarah nodded and failed to keep the edge out of her voice as she continued to speak. "Now, let's get back to bed, shall we? You have to be tired after all your partying."

"I am a little," Josh nodded and undressed with his back to her. "Everyone kept me talking for _hours_ and I didn't have a way to excuse myself. I'll have to think of one in the future so you don't worry about me."

"Yes you will," Sarah nodded and lay back on her pillow. "Unless you let me come with you. That's always an option too."

"True, but I don't know if I'm ready for that," Josh said. "When I'm ready for you to come to the club, I will take you myself."

We'll see about that, Sarah thought to herself before turning off the light. It just depends on how long I feel like waiting.


	75. Finding Myself Again

Because she meant it when she said she was going to find out what Josh was up to at the club, Sarah didn't wait long to follow him the next time he went out to see his friends. And she had to do some thinking because there was no way she could take Ellie into a club like the one she thought Josh was going to, but she couldn't tell her parents. Her father would accuse her of being suspicious when there was probably nothing to worry about. She had to find a friend. She couldn't go alone. So she called up a friend to watch Ellie while she infiltrated the club and saw just what the hell Josh was up to.

"Just what sort of club is this?" An eager Katherine questioned. "Tight clothes? Revealing clothes?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "I think it's that kind of club, with dancing girls and all that. So…the tighter the better." She paused. "You know, I was gonna have you come to watch Ellie, but now…now I think it might be better if you went and watched Josh and were my eyes and ears. Would you do that?"

"Sure," Katherine nodded. "I would love to. But how am I supposed to tell you what I'm seeing? Walkie talkies? _That_ wouldn't be obvious at all."

Sarah thought a moment and then zapped up a small, red pin shaped like a heart. "Here," she said. "Put this somewhere on you. It's a camera. I'll be able to see what's going on when you wear it."

"Well, now I feel like I'm in the middle of a spy movie," Katherine remarked and stuck the pin on her dress, grateful she chose one that didn't have a sweetheart neckline. "All right, are you two gonna be okay in here?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded and cuddled her daughter, who had a brown teddy bear clasped in her tiny hands and was leaning against her mother with her eyes half-open. "Don't worry about us."

"All right," Katherine nodded. "How long do you want me to stay in there?"

"Well, I don't think you should hang around for too long since we're spying and you're not actually a demon," Sarah pointed out. "Just get in there long enough to see what sort of place it is, and if you can find out what Josh is doing there, that's an added bonus. Once you do that, it should be enough." She paused. "And thank you for doing this. I appreciate it. Doing it and not telling me that I'm silly for wanting to know something about a place Josh comes to. That's good of you."

"Hey, no problem," Katherine assured her and put the pin on. "If Rodan was up to something and wouldn't tell me what it was, I'd want to spy too."

"I sort of know," Sarah corrected. "Josh's old girlfriend Kerry wants him to come here and he says he's just going so she'll not get mad and take out her anger on us, but something tells me that's not the whole story."

* * *

"I can't believe this is the club," Katherine sighed and looked at it. "Could it be _more_ like a stereotypical strip club? I thought they would be more creative than that!"

"Well, apparently, they aren't," Sarah said. "Now, what did you change into? Let me see it."

"Oh, no, no," Katherine let herself out of the car, her jacket still tightly zipped. "I know what I'm doing. I don't need you to check my outfit, thank you. I think that I know a thing or two about how to catch a demon."

"You don't need to catch anyone!" Sarah cried. "This first time, we're just making sure Josh is in there, all right? And then once we're sure of that, then I'll confront him."

"What if he confronts you first?" Katherine questioned. "What will you say? Cause he'll probably be mad that you're following him."

"I'll think of something," Sarah said. "Now would you please just go in there and see where Josh is?"

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "And if he's got a girl in his lap, what do you want me to do?"

"Just make a note of it," Sarah said, her voice firm. "I'll deal with it later."

"All right," Katherine told her and walked toward the club, thinking what to do if they didn't let her in. But to her surprise, she got in without trouble, realizing after that it was probably due to her connection with Rodan that she'd been recognized as part of the community and not an intruder.

She then found a quiet corner and whispered into her pin, "I'm in. Can you hear me, Sarah?"

"Yes," Sarah confirmed. "What are you seeing?"

Katherine looked around the brightly colored, smoky club and sighed. Sarah wasn't gonna like what she heard. The thing that was most prominently placed was a stage where scantily clad women danced while men hooted, and cheered as waitresses plied them with alcohol. And Katherine was pretty sure that it was normal practice for the men to pay for private time with their favorite dancers as well.

"Katherine?" Came Sarah's sharp voice. "What are you seeing?"

"It's like a strip club," Katherine told her. "Scantily clad women, clandestine trysts in smoky back rooms, lots of alcohol…I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Sarah sighed. "I should have suspected that Kerry the witch would encourage Josh to come to a place like this. Can you see him? Is he there? Does he have someone in his lap?"

"No," Katherine shook her head when she finally did notice him sitting at a table in the corner of the room with a drink in his hand. "He's got a drink and he's watching the show, but that's it."

"Good," Sarah said. "I hope it stays that way."

"Do you need more information?" Katherine asked.

"No, I've heard enough," Sarah assured her. "You can leave."

"Okay," Katherine said and then paused. "Is it okay if I have a drink first?"

"All right, one drink," Sarah sighed, glad that Ellie had fallen asleep in her lap and they wouldn't have to cut anything short to run her home and put her to bed. "But remember, you don't want to get caught. If Josh catches you, that could ruin everything."

"I won't get caught," Katherine assured her. "Don't worry." She sidled up to the male bartender and asked for a glass of champagne.

"All right," he said with a wink. "Can I have some with you?"

"No, thanks," Katherine put her hand with her bracelet around the wrist where he could see it. "I don't think my husband would like me drinking with other men, Not that I let him tell me what to do, but I don't like hearing him complain, so I'd rather drink alone." She turned around and went to sit down, drinking her drink and then leaving the empty glass on the table with some money and then headed out to the car where Sarah and Ellie were waiting. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about," she told Sarah. "Like I said, Josh was there, but he wasn't throwing dollar bills at a dancer or asking for a lap dance. He was just sitting there with his eyes on the stage and that's it. And it could just be part of his cover."

"I trust him," Sarah told her. "I do. I want to believe he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. But I still want to see things for myself."

"And you do that," Katherine urged. "That's fine. Good luck."

"Thanks," Sarah said. "If I do it tomorrow night, would you and Rodan mind watching Ellie? Or are you not 'kid' people?"

"No, I'm sure we can handle it," Katherine promised. "You want me to take her while you drive? Or do you think that will wake her up?"

"No, it actually won't," Sarah said, proving her point by moving Ellie over to Katherine's lap without her so much as opening an eye. "See?"

"Wow," Katherine remarked, remembering how long it sometimes had taken her and Gregory to get Elizabeth to sleep. "You're lucky."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and started up the car. "Aren't I?"

* * *

The following night, Sarah left Ellie in Katherine and Rodan's care and took a taxi back to the Inferno.

"It's interesting you want to go there," the driver said as he smirked at her in the rearview mirror. "That's mostly a 'guys only' place…unless you're going to apply for a job. But you don't look like a stripper, or a dominatrix, or whatever they call the girls who work there."

Sarah didn't want to get grief from a stranger when it really wasn't his business, so she snapped, "Just take me there, please!" And he huffed at her, but drove her the rest of the way in silence.

When they reached the club, she strode inside, seeing the scantily clad waitresses and dancers and blushing as she looked down at her jeans, shirt, and jacket and felt over-dressed. Then she realized that she had to go to the bathroom, but saw no doors labeled that, so she took a chance and opened one, her eyes widening as she saw a woman in fishnet stockings and not much else spanking a man she hoped with all her might wasn't Josh.

"Sorry," she said as they glared at her and she slammed the door closed. "I was just looking for the bathroom."

She turned away from the door, a flush coloring her cheeks as she went toward the bar, thinking of asking the bartender where the bathroom was.

When he made her order a drink first, she asked for a small Screwdriver, and after that was drunk, he pointed her in the direction of the bathrooms, which were in a separate hallway right next to the entrance.

"I could have found that quickly if it was labeled properly," she said. "Instead of humiliating myself like I did."

"Well, that'll teach you a lesson about just opening any door around here," the bartender replied. "You interrupted someone, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "But I didn't see anything."

"It's not a shame to admit you like watching," the bartender replied. "If you want to, just go back and say something and I'm sure you can be let in on whatever's going on for the right price."

"That's really not what I meant," Sarah insisted. "It really was an accident!"

"Sure," the bartender nodded. "Whatever you say. Now…didn't you say you needed to go to the bathroom?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded, truly grateful for the excuse to get away. "Goodbye."

It was as she came out of the bathroom that she ran into Josh and they both stared at one another for a long moment before he got out, "What are you doing here?"

Sarah shrugged. "I was curious what you were up to since you wouldn't give me very many specifics, so here I am." She narrowed her eyes. "You got a problem with that?"

"Yes, I do!" Josh nodded. "I would like to be able to do my own thing without being spied on and made to feel guilty about it by my wife, who has no reason not to trust me!"

"Well, maybe if you would have been honest about what sort of place this was and what sort of stuff you did here instead of just generally saying you were coming here to protect Ellie and me from Kerry, I wouldn't have felt suspicious and like I needed to see what you were up to!" Sarah shot back. "So be honest with me now: would you rather be paying strange women to sleep with you? Am I not good enough for you? Am I not sexy enough?"

"No, that's not the point of all this!" Josh cried, desperation obvious in his voice. "I _love_ you and Ellie, all right? You know that! You give me a place to belong and more of a purpose than I ever thought I could have and I really do love that. I wouldn't throw it away for anything. But I was…I was a bit of a rascal in my younger days, you know. I spent a lot of time here, and so did my friends. Our behavior was not the best, but…this was still very much a part of my life." He paused. "Haven't you had days since you became a mother where you miss how things were when you had time to be yourself? In your heart of hearts, don't you, no matter how much you might love Ellie?"

There was a silence and then Sarah nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "There are times I miss how things used to be, but I can't dwell on it. It doesn't do any good."

"You need to take time for yourself," he told her. "I think it would do you a lot of good."

"But I'm afraid that if I do that, I'll be a bad mother," Sarah said. "I mean, I'm already working most of the day, which takes me away from Ellie. Add in taking even more time for myself, and what kind of parent would I be?"

"Working is not taking time for yourself," Josh pointed out, locking eyes with her. "I want you to do something wild and crazy. You don't have to tell me what it is. Just…step outside of yourself and do it."

"I don't know if I can," Sarah sighed. "But I'll give it a shot."

* * *

"Good morning, Ellie bean," Josh greeted his daughter when he came to her room the next morning. "Do you want me to take you out of your bed so you can have a closer look at your new fish friend?"

"Yes!" Ellie grinned broadly.

So Josh picked her up and carried her over to the dresser where her new fish's bowl sat. "Do you see him?" He questioned.

"Yes!" Ellie nodded.

"What's his name?" Josh asked.

"Fishy!" Ellie replied, a wide grin on her face.

"Oh, silly me," Josh chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I should have known. You like that name, don't you?"

"Yes," Ellie agreed.

When Sarah came in to greet them, she found them both making fish faces at the tank, and when she spoke, Josh started badly and turned around.

"Oh, calm down," she said. "You don't need to be embarrassed."

"I'm not," Josh told her. "And remember what we talked about: do something wild and crazy and unexpected today. Don't just come home after work."

"All right," Sarah agreed. "I will."

* * *

Josh was pleased when he got home later in the day and saw that Sarah's car wasn't in the driveway. Good, he thought to himself. She listened to me. I'm glad. He took off his coat and went to his and Sarah's bedroom to read a book, but gasped when he opened the door. Cause there was Sarah, clad in leather and spandex and attached to a chain that hung from the ceiling.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Josh asked, his question coming out more curious than angry. "What the hell did you do, Sarah?"

"What you suggested," she said. "I'm being wild and crazy and unpredictable. Wanna have a little fun?"


	76. Unleash The Wild Side

"I-I-I…" Josh got out. As he stared at her, he was aware of being both very aroused and very confused. "I think so, but…you look good!" He quickly undressed and then ran over to her, running his warm fingers gently over the exposed skin of her belly. "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know exactly," Sarah replied. "What do the women at the club do when someone hires them to go in a back room? I know there's spanking involved, but I'm not in the best position to do that at the moment."

"How do you know there's spanking?" Josh questioned.

"I was looking for a bathroom and I opened the wrong door, and…wait a minute! What are we talking about?" Sarah asked, shifting a little. "We're supposed to be doing sexy things!" Her tongue then slid over her bottom lip. "What are you waiting for, Josh?"

"I'm waiting for you to tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do," Josh replied in a hushed voice. "Do you want me to whip you or spank you or what?"

"You do whatever you want," she said, her voice breathy. "I don't mind at all."

"All right," he said and shut his eyes, leaning forward to stroke her belly again and kiss the skin there before slipping her pants down, parting her legs, and getting down on his knees to pleasure her slowly and gently with his tongue, her moans of pleasure making him even more aroused than he had been just looking at her.

"Don't stop," she panted as she felt herself come closer and closer to climaxing. "Just a little more. Just a little bit more…there!"

"I know," he whispered. "I can taste it."

Sarah chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you can," she said.

After that, he released her from being tied up and pulled her close for a moment as he ran his fingers through her hair and inhaled the scent of her skin before setting her down on their bed and making sure she was watching as he undressed and came to join her in bed, pulling her to him and kissing her soundly before running his hands over her body and burying himself inside her again and again as she threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his long hair.

"I could always spank you after, you know," she suggested. "Or give you a little nip on your neck. I've…I've always been kind of curious to see what your blood tastes like."

Josh paused and smiled, kissing Sarah's fingers and nodding. "You'll get to have your chance at that soon," he said. "But my blood will turn you into a demon once you drink it, so we have to wait until you're really ready. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Sarah smiled and kissed him. "Thanks for the warning."

"You're welcome," he replied and pulled out of her, rolling on the mattress beside her as she grinned, reached over, and gave him a gentle spank.

"That was fun," she remarked.

"Yeah," Josh grinned, his cheeks a bit pink. "It really was."

* * *

"Did Josh talk to you about what I told him regarding family time?" Matthew asked when Sarah came to visit him and Christine with Ellie the next night. "I don't want you two to lose track of each other. That would just be a tragedy."

"He hasn't said specifically what you told him, but I'm working on finding ways to manage my time so that I have both time with my family and time for myself," Sarah assured her father. "I was wondering…could I borrow one of the horses and go for a ride tomorrow? Being on the trail might help me think."

Matthew smiled. "Of course! I think that's a wonderful idea! Would you like me to come with you? I could bring a picnic lunch. Or would you rather just be alone with your thoughts? Either way is fine with me."

Sarah thought a moment. "You know, we haven't spent a lot of time together just the two of us," she decided. "If you come, that would be nice."

"All right, I will," Matthew nodded. "When is it that you want to meet? Early tomorrow?"

"Not really early," Sarah shook her head. "How about nine-thirty tomorrow? We can have our ride, have lunch, and then come back in the afternoon."

"Excellent," Matthew hugged her. "That sounds terrific."

"What are you two talking about?" Christine questioned as she walked through the living room with Ellie to get a snack for both of them from the kitchen.

"We're gonna go on a horseback ride tomorrow and have a picnic," Matthew told her. "Sarah and I, I mean."

"That's so nice!" Christine smiled. "It's been a while since the two of you have done something together. I hope you have fun!" She paused. "Would you like me to watch Ellie for you while you're gone?"

"We're gonna be gone practically all day and I don't want to inconvenience you," Sarah told her. "If you already had plans, don't feel like you need to change them."

"Well, your aunt Eva is going to come visit, but she loves Ellie," Christine replied. "And if this is out of line, tell me, but I was thinking of maybe asking her if there are any swimming classes you can enroll Ellie in at the pool she goes to. Ellie loves fish so maybe she might like being able to swim like one."

"You know, that's a very good idea!" Sarah nodded. "Go ahead and ask her. And would you ask if there are 'Mommy and me' swim classes available? I know that won't help with my task of figuring out my own self and my own hobbies, but it'll make me feel less guilty about all the time I have to spend away from my daughter."

"Yeah, sure!" Christine smiled. "Of course I'll ask her!"

"And…" Sarah flushed a little. "I feel dumb asking this, but she's really coming just to see you right?"

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "Why do you think she's coming?"

"Well, Junior is her nephew, you know," Sarah reminded her. "And he's not been too happy since I told him he had to wait and see Ellie until she was older and could make the choice for herself whether she wanted him in her life or not. So I thought at first that Aunt Eva coming here was just his way to try and see Ellie again behind my back."

"I see," Christine nodded. "But I'm sure if that was the case, Eva would have mentioned it and then, of course, I wouldn't have offered to watch Ellie. But I know it'll just be your aunt and me."

"All right, good," Sarah nodded. "That's a lot off my mind."

"Just have a good time with your dad," Christine urged and then went to go get Ellie some juice and a cookie. "Everything will be fine here, I promise."

* * *

"I knew you'd be up early," Matthew said when he and Sarah pulled up to the stables the next morning. "Do you want to start our ride now, or leave in two hours like we planned?"

"Well, what would we do if we didn't leave for another two hours?" Sarah questioned. "Let's get going now, if that's all right with you."

"Of course it is," Matthew nodded. He then went to the back of his car and took a picnic basket out of the trunk. "Can you use your magic to make sure all of this doesn't spoil before we have a chance to eat it?"

"Yes, I can, and thanks for suggesting the ride and the food." Sarah smiled and made the basket small enough to fit in the pack on her back and assured her father after that everything would still be edible once it was unpacked.

"You're welcome," Matthew nodded. "Sounds good to me." They then headed to the stables and Matthew got on the back of one of his new horses, a black Paso Fino, that he knew would make for a smooth ride. Beside him, Sarah picked a much smaller female Palomino that was light brown in color.

"I thought you would pick Sadie to ride," Matthew smiled. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "She is. Are you gonna put her in shows or something?"

"I thought about it," Matthew nodded. "Unless you want to have her for yourself. I really think you should. If you knew she was waiting for you, would you be more willing to take breaks?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and patted the horse's muzzle before asking her to start walking. "I think I would."

"Take her then," Matthew insisted. "She's yours."

"Thanks, Daddy," Sarah told him as they and the horses trotted away from the stables. "Thanks a lot."

* * *

A few hours later, they reached the end of the trail, which was a cliff that gave them an excellent view as they sat at the edge, their feet dangling off the side. "It's so beautiful here," Sarah remarked as she took Matthew's hand.

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "And really peaceful too. It's one of my favorite places. I've brought everyone but Selina up here now."

"Why haven't you brought her?" Sarah questioned.

Matthew sighed. "When she was small, she and her cousins were playing at Amelia's parents' house with some sort of tree fort that was on a high branch and when Selina was in it, the fort fell out of the tree and she broke her arm, so she's had a fear of heights ever since. If I tried to bring her here, she wouldn't like it much."

"What a shame," Sarah put her head on her father's shoulder. "Cause it really _is_ a nice view."

Matthew nodded and then cleared his throat. "Other than time with Sadie, what else would you like to do to help yourself? Anything else I can help you with? Teach you how to hunt? How to play chess?"

"Maybe I should learn how to knit," Sarah smiled. "I hear that's relaxing."

"So I hear," Matthew agreed. "Your sister says it's done her a lot of good. Maybe when she has a quiet moment, she can teach you."

"Yeah," Sarah mused. "Maybe I'll ask next time I see her." She looked at her watch. "I know it's not exactly the time we usually eat, but…are you ready for brunch?"

Matthew shrugged. "As long as it's here, we might as well," he said as they left their view from the cliff and went to get the picnic basket. "No sense in letting it go to waste."

* * *

"Sarah!" Selina cried when Jim announced that her sister had arrived. "What brings you here?"

"I just…I wanted to thank you for how you helped me at work," Sarah replied and handed her sister a bouquet of daisies. "I know you have better things to do with your time than deal with petty squabbles, so I'm very touched."

"Oh, it's no problem," Selina replied. "I just didn't want to see you be in more trouble than you deserved to be in because some demon has a chip on her shoulder." She shrugged. "So…are things better now? Has there been any more trouble?"

"No, no," Sarah shook her head. "Not at the moment."

"Good," Selina nodded. "How's Josh handling the prospect of his new position? Is it still a good idea for him? Is he nervous?"

"No, he's doing all right," Sarah told her. "What about Arthur? Is he mad he has to share the power?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "But if you're worried about that, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to talk to you about it. I know he's around here somewhere." She called for her son, and he appeared a minute or so later.

"Hi, Sarah," he greeted her. "How's Josh? The Council wants to see him again soon. Would that be all right?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I'll be sure he knows."

"Thanks," Arthur nodded. "That would be a big help. I think he's gonna do well, you know."

"You do?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded. "Two heads are always better than one, aren't they?"

"I agree," Sarah remarked. "And thank you for being such a good sport about all of it since I know it must feel sometimes like we just waltzed in and usurped what you've been working to become your whole life."

"Well, if I have to share my duties with someone, better Josh than a person I don't feel like I can trust," Arthur told her.

"Thanks," Sarah told him.

They stared in awkward silence and then Arthur cleared his throat. "All right," he said. "You two do your sister thing and I am going to go over to Elijah and Amy's and see Lily."

"Have fun!" Selina called after him. "And tell them I said 'Hello', would you?"

"Yes," Arthur assured her. "I promise!"

Once he was gone, Selina asked her sister, "So…how have you been?"

"Dad and I went horseback riding the other day and talked about things I could do to help re-establish my sense of self," Sarah explained. "He's letting me have one of the horses from the stables for my very own, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to show me how to knit when you had the time."

"Oh, I don't know if you'd want to knit," Selina told her. "It might be a bit too sedate for you." She paused. "Not that I won't show you if you want to learn. Of course I will. It just…it takes a lot of time and a lot of patience, and stuff like that's not for everyone."

"It might be just the thing I need right now," Sarah shrugged. "I don't know."

"All right," Selina nodded and went to grab some yarn and a pair of knitting needles after putting the daisies her sister had brought in a vase with some water. "What do you say we start right now?"

"Okay," Sarah agreed and looked at it all curiously. "What do I do first?"


	77. Welcome To The Jungle

"Well, will you look at this!" Dorian exclaimed as he went through the letters Jim had brought in one Saturday morning. "Selina, I got another letter from AnnaLynne."

"Did you?" Selina ran over and sat next to him on the sofa. "Open it! I wonder what she's up to. I hope she and Gregory are getting along because if they aren't, it'll be my fault; I was the one who asked him to make sure they look out for each other."

"What's he like? You never told me," Dorian said.

"He's like Elijah except not exactly," Selina answered. "Imagine Elijah, but slightly less tightly wound."

That made Dorian chuckle. "Now I _really_ wish I could see them first hand. Because knowing AnnaLynne as I do, spending a lot of time with another version of Elijah will be no picnic for her." He grinned. "Poor girl."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And considering how much AnnaLynne would fight him, poor Gregory too." She paused. "What does the letter say? Will you read it to me?"

"All right," Dorian cleared his throat.

" _Dear Daddy,_

 _I bet you're wondering why I'm writing you instead of calling, but Gregory has us in a place where the phone service is kind of sketchy, so even though it will take longer for you to get this message, at least I know you will. Or I hope you will._

 _Gregory and I are doing our best to get along, and don't worry…I'm still looking for those Amazons, like you asked me to. Should I mention my mission to Gregory? Maybe he can help. Or should I keep it to myself cause it's demon business and we don't want to get too many outsiders involved?_

 _Anyway, I'll keep looking for this Amazon stuff, don't worry. If they're up to shady things that will get the demon world in trouble, I'll stop it, don't worry. I hope you and Selina are well._

 _Love from,_

 _AnnaLynne"_

"Well, that's nice," Selina smiled. "And she could probably tell Gregory about her mission if she thinks he can help. He doesn't tend to run off at the mouth. He'd keep it a secret if she wanted him to."

"Oh, I know," Dorian nodded, putting the letter down and giving Selina a hug and a kiss. "I trust him. And we need all the help we can get."

"Why?" Selina asked. "Has there been more evidence of Amazons terrorizing people?"

"Not yet, but it would be best to get a handle on the problem before it gets bad, don't you think?" Dorian questioned.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "You have a very good point."

* * *

"Where are you going?" AnnaLynne asked Gregory when she woke up one morning and found him heading out the door. "Were you just going to leave without saying anything to me about where you were going?"

"Of course," Gregory nodded. "Why would I have to keep you informed about my whereabouts? It's not like you're my wife or anything. Besides, I was under the impression that our agreement regarding our current situation was that the less we were in each other's business, the better."

"True," AnnaLynne nodded. "But remember that your mom said that we needed to look out for each other, so if you walked out of here and died and I had no idea, what would I tell her, huh?"

"Would you stop playing the 'Mother' card?" Gregory huffed.

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head.

They stared at each other and then Gregory sighed. "All right, come along," he said. "But just to warn you, I don't think you'll like what I'm doing."

"Are you saying I can't handle it?" AnnaLynne got out. "I can. Let me show you."

"All right," Gregory sighed deeply, knowing that he had to let her come because if he refused, she'd follow him anyway. "Hurry up and get dressed if you want to come."

"What's the rush?" AnnaLynne questioned after dragging herself out of bed and struggling to make herself some coffee with the coffee pot in the hotel room.

"The rush is that I am going on a trek and I'm meeting my guide soon," Gregory replied, his voice testy. "I don't want to be late."

"Oh, fine," AnnaLynne huffed and zapped herself some coffee and put on some of Gregory's clothes but, so she felt like she still retained some of her sense of self, put on heels to go with them. "All right, I'm dressed," she remarked as he looked at her with a smirk on his lips. "Let's go since you're the one who said it was so urgent."

"It is," Gregory nodded. "I think we're gonna have quite the time, that's for sure."

"That sounds ominous," AnnaLynne got out. "Is it ominous? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, of course not," Gregory replied, his face somber. "What would make you think that?"

* * *

"When were you going to mention that we were going to go plodding through the jungle?" AnnaLynne grumbled as she strode behind Gregory and their guide while they went on the tour through the jungle and other unpleasant conditions of the Amazon. "It would have at least stopped me from wearing my best shoes and ruining them."

"Haven't you learned a single thing from all the time we've been here?" Gregory questioned. "We are in tough, messy, unpredictable terrain. You should not wear your best or nicest _anything_. You should have zapped up tennis shoes and jeans if you were so desperate to be part of my private business! I don't see why I'm responsible for the fact that you have yet to learn that, even though it should be totally obvious by now."

AnnaLynne then let out a shriek as she tripped and, before Gregory had time to catch her, fell face first in some mud. "Damn!" She screamed. "Damn, damn, damn!"

"You look good in mud," Gregory commented with a grin. "Now stop dawdling. We have somewhere we need to be and I want to get there before dark."

"No," AnnaLynne shook her head and crossed her arms. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Fine," Gregory replied, picking her up and putting her over his shoulder as she hit him and cried out in protest, especially after he refused to retrieve her shoes and just left them in the muck before making her zap herself up some more sensible boots. "Thanks for letting me make the right choice for you. We'll definitely move along faster this way."

"Yes, we will," said their statuesque guide, a woman named Marpesia told him, her dark eyes flashing. "Thank you for doing something about her. Until now, I was worried that we would fall behind."

"You could have said something earlier," Gregory reassured her. "I wouldn't have minded."

Marpesia's dark eyes glinted as she chuckled for a moment and then kept walking. "Well, don't you worry," she replied. "From now on, I will certainly remember that."

* * *

"How much more walking do we have to do?" AnnaLynne questioned when they got to a clearing that was protected by trees and decided to set up camp for the night. "Where's the nearest hotel? I need to take a shower. I feel gross!"

"Oh, I'm sure there's a body of water around here somewhere," Gregory told her. "Can't you hear it? Just go take off your clothes and wash." He paused. "But watch out for leeches or bacteria or sharks or other dangerous things that I'm sure are in the water."

"You're just trying to scare me," AnnaLynne said and tried to slap him but he was too tall for her to reach. "Would you please bend down so I can slap you?"

"No!" Gregory scoffed. "Of course not. I'm going to go set up the tent. You don't need to help if you don't want to. In fact, it might go quicker if you don't."

"Oh, yes," AnnaLynne scoffed and began pacing around as Gregory got the tent out of his pack. "Please show me how skilled you are at all this outdoors stuff just because you're a man." She paused. "I assume that's why you think you can do this on your own and I'll just be in the way."

"Well, have you ever put up a tent before?" Gregory questioned.

"Well, no-" AnnaLynne began. But Gregory cut her off.

"See?" he said. "I have made my point."

So AnnaLynne watched him with crossed arms and a wry smirk as he struggled to put up a tent. "Would you like some help, oh Great One?" She questioned. "Cause it doesn't seem like you're doing as well as you led me to believe when we started this venture."

"Can you help?" Gregory questioned and gestured at the tent and poles. "Be my guest."

Then he watched with his jaw hanging as she used her magic to put the tent up in no time flat.

"I tried to tell you," she smirked and got under it. "But you didn't listen, did you? Say you're wrong. Say it. I need to hear those words from your mouth."

"No," Gregory shook his head. Then, with a wave of AnnaLynne's hand, he said "I was wrong. I'm sorry." It was mechanical, and he obviously didn't mean it, but just making him say it was enough for her.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" She asked and then got under the sleeping bag she laid out. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Gregory replied as he got in the tent next to her. "Sleep well."

"I'll try!" AnnaLynne got out, even though she'd never slept outside before and wasn't sure how well the night would go. "I really hope nothing bad happens to me tonight."

"I won't let it," Gregory assured her. "Believe me, if anyone was going do anything bad to you, I would be the one who would want that opportunity. I wouldn't just let a wild animal take it."

"Thank you," AnnaLynne replied dryly. "I'm touched."

"You're welcome," Gregory told her and bade her goodnight one last time.

* * *

There were a couple things that happened the next morning to put AnnaLynne in a very bad mood. For one, a storm had happened over night that had made it impossible for her to get a good night's rest, and then, just as her eyes finally closed again around sunrise, someone showed up at their camp site that made her wake up all over again.

"What is it?" She cried, her voice groggy as she emerged from the tent to the sound of Marpesia and another man yelling at each other. "Why are you yelling? Why is this conversation so important that it couldn't have happened at a more reasonable hour?"

"Because what he's telling us is life or death," Gregory explained and handed her what she assumed was a cup of some of the wateriest coffee known to man.

"No, thanks," she said, shaking her head and handing it back. "I'm awake already. It's not long until we leave, is it?"

"You'll have a bit more time than you think," Gregory replied. "A group of Amazons has taken up residence in the next town and before we leave, we need to figure out how to protect ourselves from them."

"So Amazons are a danger to more than just demons?" AnnaLynne questioned. "How dangerous are they?"

"Very," Marpesia told her. "So always keep an eye out and don't let your guard down. Get dressed and eat something and we'll get on our way in an hour, all right?"

"All right," AnnaLynne nodded, planning to start another letter to her father once she'd dressed to tell him they were about to walk right into Amazon territory. "I'll be ready to go by then. I promise."


	78. A Job To Be Done

"Are you doing all right back there?" Gregory questioned AnnaLynne as they and their guides walked to the next village with their bags on their backs. "You haven't spoken for a while. I thought you'd be blabbing on forever as a way to take up the time."

"Actually, I'm fine," AnnaLynne said, not wanting Gregory to know that she was exhausted after all the walking they were doing. "I'm fine. How long until we reach the town?"

"Not long," Gregory assured her. "If you're tired, I can always carry you."

"No, I don't need you to _carry_ me," AnnaLynne snapped. "I'm not a toddler. I can handle it just…" She stopped talking so quickly that Gregory whipped around to see what was wrong, leaning forward to catch her when she became so tired that she tripped over her own feet and stumbled. Gregory reached out to catch her and he was bent over low enough that when he grabbed her, her lips touched his. It was a brief, very much accidental kiss at first. But then it deepened for a few seconds before they pulled apart, their eyes wide.

"What the hell was that?" AnnaLynne cried. "What did you have to go and kiss me for?"

"What makes you think I kissed _you_?" Gregory scoffed. "I think you kissed me. And then kissed me again because you liked it and wanted more."

"Oh, get over yourself," AnnaLynne stuck her tongue out at him. "You're no good. I've had better. If I ever kissed you at all and meant it, it would be only because I don't have many other options out here in the jungle!"

"Well you're not the shiniest penny in the fountain either!" Gregory shot back, feeling wounded even though he had just insulted AnnaLynne the same way. "Even if I was desperate, I wouldn't be with you!"

"Sure you would!" AnnaLynne said. "Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying!" Gregory shook his head. "I've never been more honest about anything in my entire life!"

"All right you two, all right," Marpesia said, coming between them. "That's enough. Let's not forget why we're here."

"Of course, I'm sorry," Gregory averted his eyes. "What was I thinking?"

"Do we have much longer before we get to the village?" AnnaLynne questioned and hopped up and down to get the blood in her feet flowing again. "Cause I'm getting awfully tired of walking."

"Well, you don't have to worry anymore," Marpesia assured her. "At least not where that's concerned." She pointed ahead of her. "There's the village up ahead. "We'll be there soon."

* * *

"Finally, we're here!" AnnaLynne cried when they reached the edge of the town where the Amazons had allegedly settled. "I was beginning to think we'd never reach it."

"I can't believe you're so eager to be here, seeing as how your father told you that Amazons hate your people and would probably be more than happy to murder you in your bed," Gregory remarked.

"Well, it'll give me something to tell my father," AnnaLynne shrugged. "That's what he sent me out here for, after all: to find out more about what these Amazons are up to."

"I could tell you right now and you wouldn't even have to meet one," Marpesia informed her. "They're here to murder. At least that's part of their agenda. It always is."

"Well, that's nice and specific," AnnaLynne said dryly. "Thank you so much for the help."

"Be nice, would you?" Gregory asked. "It's not polite to be mean to someone who's trying to help you."

"How is that help?" AnnaLynne snapped. "She didn't tell me anything I don't already know."

"You'll have to excuse her," Gregory told Marpesia as he put his hand over AnnaLynne's mouth. "She doesn't have very good manners."

"Oh, it's fine," Marpesia replied. "It's not like I've never talked to an unpleasant person before and I know it can be unsettling to be out in the jungle like this if you've never been before."

Then Gregory let out a cry as AnnaLynne bit into the soft flesh of his palm. "What the fuck?" He cried. "What did you have to go and do that for?"

"That'll teach you to put your hand over my mouth and silence me like I'm a child!" AnnaLynne spat. "Don't you do that again! Do I make myself clear?"

Gregory didn't answer, just glaring at her instead. How he could have kissed her, he had no idea. It just went to show that hormones were dangerous things. He cleared his throat and stepped away from a still fuming AnnaLynne, going over to talk to Marpesia, who was much closer to his height, something that made him feel good, like he was talking to an adult for once. "So what do we do now? Do we go into the village and confront them?"

"Oh, no," Marpesia shook her head. "That would be a terrible plan! Why don't we stay out here and watch for now? Get an idea of who's going in and out and what everyone is doing? That way you can see what's going on with the kidnapped girls from the hospital, and AnnaLynne can see with her own eyes whether or not the Amazons are actually here."

"Yes," Gregory nodded. "I suppose that would be a more practical plan than just storming the place, wouldn't it?"

"Look at you, admitting that you're wrong and someone else is right," AnnaLynne told him. "And a woman, no less."

"I have plenty of respect for women," Gregory informed her. "If I didn't, my mother would box my ears."

AnnaLynne grinned. "And she's like, way smaller than you!"

"Oh, that hardly matters when she's having a bad day," Gregory shivered and then turned back to Marpesia. "You seem to have a plan," he told her. "So just tell us what to do next and we'll do it."

"Just watch for now," Marpesia said. "And don't speak if you don't need to. That's all you need to do until you're sure you have the information you need."

* * *

"Hello?" Klaus asked, picking up the phone that night. "AnnaLynne, is that you? I thought your father sent you to the Amazon!"

"He did!" AnnaLynne replied. "I'm supposed to look out for Amazons cause they're big demon rivals and there's a rumor going around that they're plotting to kill us all."

"Interesting!" Klaus said. "You don't seem too frightened at the prospect."

"Why should I be scared when I'm not gonna let myself die cause I have info that I need to get to Daddy?" AnnaLynne questioned. "This is one of the first times in my whole life that he's trusted me with anything important and there's no way I'm going to let him down."

"Good for you," Klaus told her, fondness in his voice. "Just take care of yourself, all right? Get through the trip and then come home and tell me all about it. I want details, okay? And not just in letters."

"All right," AnnaLynne smiled to herself. "I'll be careful so I can come home safe and regale you with tales of my adventures. I promise."

"Good, cause I want to hear everything," Klaus repeated. "I don't know how many times I can emphasize that." He paused. "So…is it just you in the Amazon by yourself?"

"No!" AnnaLynne shook her head. "I think your nephew Gregory is here with me. You _do_ have a nephew named Gregory, don't you? Really tall and full of himself?"

"Yep, that sounds like my nephew," Klaus chuckled at the way she described him because it sounded just right. "I hope you're not putting up with his nonsense. He's not afraid to be pushy."

"Oh, I'm very much aware of that," AnnaLynne promised. "But I think I can handle him."

"Good," Klaus said. "That's great to hear."

"How are things with you and…what's her name?" AnnaLynne asked sweetly. She was perfectly aware of Sybil's name, but she didn't feel like saying it out loud."

"Oh, What's-her-name and I getting along very well, thank you," Klaus replied, playing along. "It's not the same as when you were here, but we're getting along better than we were when you saw us."

"Good," AnnaLynne told him. "I'm happy for you." Then she let out a huge yawn and Klaus took the hint. "I bet you've had a long day and are tired. I should probably let you rest."

"No, I can stay up," AnnaLynne insisted while struggling against another yawn. "It's okay. I'm not even tired."

"It's sweet, love, but I know you're lying," Klaus told her. "Go to bed and we'll talk again, soon, all right?"

"Fine," AnnaLynne conceded. "Would you like me to say 'Hello' to Gregory for you?"

"You could do that," Klaus said. "I don't know how he'll take it, but you could. Now good night, AnnaLynne."

"Goodnight," Klaus," AnnaLynne told him. "Give Sybil my love."

"Oh, you're terrible," Klaus told her.

"I know," AnnaLynne chuckled. "Don't you just love it?"

"Yes," Klaus grinned to himself. "I certainly do."


	79. Love And War

"Who were you talking to?" Gregory asked as a smiling AnnaLynne returned to their bedroom and buried herself under the covers of the bed next to his.

"What does it matter?" AnnaLynne grinned. "It's not like you're my husband, so why do you care?" She was mirroring what he'd said to her earlier about her not being his wife, but she doubted he would get the humor.

He just stared at her and said nothing so she just shook her head. "I'm sorry if I kept you awake," she said. "I was talking to your uncle Klaus. We have such nice conversations."

"How do you know him?" Gregory bristled.

"He used to be my boyfriend," AnnaLynne grinned widely as his eyes got big in horror. "Excuse me," he said, going to the door and grabbing the handle. "I have a phone call to make."

"Who are you calling?" AnnaLynne asked. "Who could possibly care enough about my love life? If you're going to call your uncle, you'll only be more horrified! Just to warn you!"

"It's not my uncle!" Gregory called back. "It's someone else. Now go to sleep, would you?"

"Oh, all right," AnnaLynne huffed and then muttered to herself as she pulled the blankets over her head. "You were the one who wanted to get all in my business so you shouldn't be surprised if you don't like what you hear."

* * *

It took some time, but the insistent ringing of her cell phone on the bedside table finally roused Selina from sleep.

"Oh, god," she yawned. "Who could be calling _now_? I hope the government's not in trouble cause I'm barely awake!" For a moment, she rued her and Dorian's decisions to keep their phones on at night in case of an emergency and then finally answered it. "What can I do for you?" She questioned, trying not to sound irritated at being woken up.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Gregory apologized, the sound of his voice making her feel happier and more awake. "I didn't mean to disrupt your sleep. I just wanted to talk, but I can do it later."

"Oh, no," Selina scoffed and carried the phone to the kitchen so that Dorian wouldn't be disturbed. "What's going on? How's the Amazon? I've only heard AnnaLynne's version from her letters."

"I'm doing all right, and the Amazon is fine," Gregory told her. "Thanks for giving me tips on what clothes to bring. I had it mostly under control, but it never hurts to have a little help."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear it," Selina smiled to herself. "Have you had any luck finding the girls who went missing from the hospital?"

"Not exactly," Gregory told her. "But I've got a lead, so that's good. And…I know you want me to be nice to AnnaLynne and all, and I will sincerely try, but…she's driving me crazy! She always wears the wrong shoes, she _kissed_ me, and she just…she just…" He trailed off.

"She's doing all that?" Selina asked, failing to keep the laughter out of her voice. "I think AnnaLynne might just be good for you, son."

" _Good_ for me?" Gregory repeated, sounding shocked. "How can you say that? You should be telling me that she's all _wrong_ for me and that I should find someone saner and less troublesome, like you did the whole time I was with Katherine!"

"I could do that," Selina nodded. "But don't you think you'd be bored? Don't you need someone who's a little more exciting to balance out your more serious nature?"

Gregory bristled. "Are you calling me stodgy and boring? Not everyone has to be the sort to jump off cliffs and murder people and party every night."

"Hey, I never said you were stodgy and boring," Selina told him. "You put those words in my mouth. I just…I just don't think it would hurt you to be with someone who wasn't afraid to challenge you and push you out of the box."

"Yes, because that worked so well with you and Father," Gregory sighed.

"That's different," Selina reminded him. "Your father is old and stubborn and stuck in his ways, but you…you've got enough of me in there that I do think that if you found the right person, contrasting personalities would be beneficial."

"And you think AnnaLynne's the right person for me?" Gregory questioned again, wanting to not believe what he was hearing but then remembering that she was the same person who thought it would be a good idea for him to be a werewolf solely because his father had been against it. "Would you tell me…just how well do you know her? Have you spent a lot of time together? And she told me that she dated Uncle Klaus before! I don't want to be like Father and just date people Uncle Klaus has broken up with!"

"Well, no one said you had to start dating her," Selina pointed out. "Just get to know her, and in time, you might find that you have some things in common or do each other some good, or something like that. It's surprising how that can happen if you give it a chance."

"Did Father do you any good?" Gregory murmured. "Be honest."

"Yes," Selina confirmed. "He did. I know you might find it hard to believe, but even though things ended between us, for the time we were together, he showed me what stability was like, what it was like to have a family and a home, and a sense of belonging. And that…after everything I've been through in my life, and how I've never really had a true home, that was good. There were times…more times than I would care to admit, when I would wake up in the morning, see your father in bed next to me, and then think it was too good to be true. That I was gonna wake up any minute in an apartment alone. But that never happened. There were some things that I had to sacrifice to be with your father, but in a lot of ways, I don't regret it. Not one bit."

"You wouldn't?" Gregory questioned. "Really? Or are you just telling me this so I'll be more willing to give AnnaLynne a chance?"

"I mean it, Gregory," Selina replied, her voice uncharacteristically serious, and her tone making Gregory feel as if he'd overstepped. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to make it seem like you were misleading me."

"I should hope not, young man," Selina replied. "Cause I wouldn't. At least not intentionally. I love you too much to do that to you."

"I know you do, Mother," Gregory assured her. "And I love you too."

"Please try to get along with AnnaLynne," Selina urged. "Since you're stuck there together, you might as well unless you'd rather make yourselves miserable. And also…keep me updated, all right? I want to know what's going on with you."

"I'll remember that," Gregory told her. "But I promise to call at a more convenient hour next time so you won't have to wake up in the middle of the night to answer the phone."

"Call me whenever," Selina urged. "I don't mind. And even if you don't get me directly, if you leave a message with my assistant Jeannette, she'll make sure I get it. She's good that way."

"Good night, Mother," Gregory told her. "Sleep well so you can save the world."

"I will," Selina promised. "You too, Gregory."

They told each other 'Good night' one last time and then both ended the call and went back to bed.

"Did you have a good time talking with your mom?" AnnaLynne questioned when Gregory came through the bedroom door, making him start badly.

"Yeah I…we had a nice conversation," Gregory nodded. "She talked a lot about you, and I think she would want me to tell you 'Hello' from her, so…yes. There you go. My mother says 'Hello'."

AnnaLynne smiled. "It's nice to know my stepmother cares so much," she said. "From personal experienced, sometimes they don't."

"I'm sorry," Gregory told her.

"That's okay," she shrugged. "It's not your fault." She then settled down to go to sleep, but just as she closed her eyes, Gregory asked her one more question.

"How did you know I was talking to my mother?" He asked.

"Psychic powers," AnnaLynne smiled. "That and your voice really carries when you get mad."

Gregory flushed, remembering some of the things he shouted. "Sorry you had to hear all that. I didn't really mean it."

"You did," AnnaLynne nodded. "But it's nothing I've never heard before." She paused. "I hope we can learn to get along, though. If you'll try, I will."

"All right," Gregory nodded and reached out to shake her hand. "Of course I'll try. I wish us the best of luck."

"Me too," AnnaLynne agreed. "Now, I think we should go to sleep. Don't you?"

"Yes," Gregory nodded and lay down. "I can get behind that a hundred percent." He paused. "Goodnight, AnnaLynne."

AnnaLynne gave him a small smile. "Goodnight, Gregory."

* * *

"You got a phone call from Gregory?" Elijah asked in shock when Selina came to his and Amy's house after school the next day to tell them about it. "He's never called _me_ from the Amazon!"

"Oh, don't get all excited," Selina told him. "He just wanted to complain about AnnaLynne is all. Cause they're both together and apparently, she's hit a few nerves."

"Oh, but I'm sure that AnnaLynne will be able to deal with that," Elijah brushed this aside. "And I'm sure he won't be rude to her, no matter how annoyed she makes him. I taught him to be a gentleman after all."

"Yes," Amy patted his arm. "And you did a very good job too, since your son is out risking his life in the unknown to rescue innocent women. You should be very proud of him." She looked between him and Selina. "You both should."

"We are," Selina assured her. "Very proud." She paused. "I hope he called Elizabeth too. Now that we know he can use a phone there, he has lots of people who would be interested in what he's up to."

They sat in silence for a minute or so before the front door opened and Lily called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm here with Arthur!"

"Well, that explains why he's never home if he's always here," Selina replied.

Arthur didn't hear the good humor in her voice at first and flushed when he was face to face with her. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I'll try and be at home more."

"You don't need to be as long as I know where you are," she assured him. "I was just teasing. How was work today? Are things with Josh still going well?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "I was really surprised at first what a quick study he's turning out to be. The only problem is that sometimes he's late because it takes time to pry Ellie away from him."

"That's unexpected," Selina remarked. "I mean, her mom goes to work every day, so it's not like she's a stranger to being away from her parents." She paused. "But then again, more often than not, that leaves Josh to be her babysitter. So I can see how losing the chance to see one parent or the other on a daily basis would be a bit of a challenge for her."

Amy sighed. "Poor Ellie. But I'm sure they'll work something out."

"Here's my next question for you, Amy," Selina said. "And if you can't answer it, it's fine, but I have to know if you can: Astrid and her ilk aren't planning any big attacks on us, are they?"

"Not that I know of," Amy shook her head. "I mean, of course she has people looking out for suspicious behavior on the part of the demon community, but she hasn't found anything so far that would actually want to make her mount an attack."

"But if she _does_ , could you tell me since I know you work at the Council sometimes?" Selina asked. "Or would that put you in an uncomfortable position? Cause I wouldn't want to put you in an uncomfortable position." She paused. "Maybe I should get Dorian to have someone watch the magical community too. He's already got groups watching out for trouble with Amazons. Getting another group to be a set of eyes wouldn't be too hard."

"I'm sure Astrid wouldn't overdo it," Amy tried to assure her. "She's not so overzealous."

"She fired me just for having romantic interest in Dorian," Selina reminded her friend. "She was too liberal before and now she feels she needs to come down hard on demons and people she views as demon sympathizers. I love Astrid, but I would be doing a disservice to the people I rule over if I didn't stay on my guard about her every minute just because we used to be friends."

"Oh, I suppose you're right," Amy nodded.

"Who's Astrid again? I don't remember." Lily asked Elijah, her eyes wide. "Someone who wants to kill us?"

"Someone who would if she thought the situation warranted it," Elijah sighed. "But don't worry Lily, Arthur. We won't let anything happen to you."

"Of course not," Selina agreed. "You should be on your guard, sure, just like at any time. But I don't want you worrying too much. There are more important things for you to focus on right now."

"Yeah, you're right," Arthur nodded resolutely and squeezed Lily's hand. "There sure are."


	80. Something Very Dangerous

"Good morning, Gwendolyn," Mikael smiled at her, even though she was facing away from him in their bed where he'd sneaked from the sofa after she'd fallen asleep. "It's so nice that your beautiful face is the first thing I see in the morning."

Gwen sighed and rolled over to face him. "Are we going to have a pleasant morning, or are you just going to complain to me about Jeffrey? Cause frankly, I'm not interested in hearing about that. I'm not. You're a grown man, you've been around for hundreds of years…you should be able to deal with the fact that I've moved on without making such a big deal about it!"

"How can you expect me not to make a big deal of it?" Mikael scoffed. "I get daggered and then when I wake up, I find my wife sneaking around with another man! A demon no less! Am I supposed to feel good?"

"Let's just eat, okay?" Gwen snapped and got out of bed, putting a robe on over her night gown. "At least having food in your mouth might give me peace for a few minutes. Sorely needed peace."

"Oh, all right," Mikael huffed. "Just feel lucky that I'm hungry."

"Even if you weren't, I would force feed you like a goose if it would stop you from talking," Gwen snapped.

They ate breakfast and drank coffee in silence. Every time Mikael opened his mouth to say something, Gwen would shush him, until finally, with a growl of frustration, she hit him with a silencing spell so that even when he _tried_ to talk, no words would come out. She smiled and drank her coffee, and then when the cup was empty, she went to put it in the sink. As she was doing that, the doorbell rang.

"Mikael?" She called. "Would you get that?"

Of course she didn't hear a reply so she followed him to make sure he did what she asked him to. To her surprise, he _did_ actually go answer the door, but when it was open and they saw who was on the other side, that was where the civility ended. Mikael saw Jeffrey's face as he smiled at Gwen, heard Jeffrey's comment about how nice he thought her bathrobe was, and begin pummeling him mercilessly. He didn't need to say a word to inflict damage.

Gwen didn't let this go on for very long before she zapped Mikael off him and then helped Jeffrey to his feet. "Are you all right?" She asked and kissed him. "Sorry about that. Mikael's just not in good spirits this morning."

"When is he ever?" Jeffrey asked. "You don't need to worry about me. He didn't hurt me a bit."

"Well, that's good," Gwen nodded. "I'm glad." She then looked at Mikael and pointed toward the kitchen. "Now that Jeffrey is here, we're going to have a talk that is sorely needed, all right?"

Mikael rolled his eyes and swore wordlessly, but stomped to the kitchen anyway.

When they were all sitting at the table with Mikael and Jeffrey out of each other's reach, Gwen cleared her throat. "I think we all agree that this is a difficult situation," she said. "Now we're gonna talk about how to deal with it."

"How is it difficult?" Jeffrey cried. "He was dead! He was out of the picture! You had every right to see someone else!"

"I did," Gwen nodded. "I'm not apologizing for our relationship and I have no intention of just ending it now. But at the same time, Mikael is here, and I _did_ marry him, and since he's not dead, I'm still technically married to him. We need to figure out what we're going to do about that."

"That's easy," Jeffrey told her. "Get a divorce and then we can all move on from this ridiculous situation. He paused. "Unless you don't want to. Unless you're really not sure after all."

"I am very sure about us, Jeffrey," Gwen assured him and put a hand on his arm. "But Mikael's always gonna be in my life even if we're not married because we have a kid and things, so we'll all need to learn to get along."

"Oh?" Jeffrey raised an eyebrow as Mikael made a face and began pounding on the table. "How do you suggest we do that?"

"We'll all live here until the two of you can look at each other without fighting, all right?" Gwen replied and used her magic to lock them all in. "And it starts now."

"You're doing this for all of our sakes, right?" Jeffrey asked. "Not because you want to bounce back and forth between him and me?"

"Of course!" Gwen nodded. "I have some control over my hormones, thank you very much. I'm not a teenager. This really _is_ about us getting along, whether you choose to believe it or not." She then gave Mikael his voice back and he got to his feet.

"I have somewhere I need to be," he remarked. "Don't count on me being back for dinner."

"All right, go," Gwen told him.

"And take your time," Jeffrey added. "We won't miss you."

Mikael just scoffed at him while Gwen gave him a look. They then heard the slam of a door and the revving of an engine as Mikael made his way to Malachai's house to tell him that need to get rid of the demons was even more urgent now.

* * *

"You look grumpy," Malachai chuckled as Mikael stomped into his house without knocking. "Still hating seeing your wife and that demon together?"

"Of course, you idiot!" Mikael snapped. "And it's because it's taking you so damn long to find out how to get rid of them that I'm suffering like this! Did you know that Gwen has proclaimed that he's gonna live with us now until I learn to get along with him?"

"Hey, this is not just my responsibility!" Malachai shouted at him. "You're supposed to be helping too! Or do you think that just because you're an Original vampire, you're too good for that?"

"Well, of course!" Mikael concurred. "Seriously. Have you come up with anything?"

"If I wanted to be mean to you like you're being an absolute asshole to me, I would say I haven't, but because I am a better person than you, I'm going to tell you the truth," Malachai admitted. "I found a way…but it'll be very dangerous. So dangerous, we might not even want to do it. It might just be easier to make peace."

"What do we have to do?" Mikael questioned.

"We have to contact the devil himself," Malachai answered in a hushed voice.

Mikael's eyes widened. There was a moment of silence, and then he burst out laughing. "You're just making that up for dramatic effect, aren't you? We don't have to call the _actual_ devil to make the demons go away. Is there even such a thing?"

"Well, obviously there must be if I've read in a book that he can be summoned to make the demons disappear, right?" Malachai replied. "Think about it."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read," Mikael said, examining the dusty, heavy, sand-colored tome Malachai was reading. "They may have sincerely believed in the devil at the time that book was written, but who's to say that what's in it will do us any good now?"

"Well, what have we got to lose?" Malachai snapped. "You want the demons gone and I'm giving you a solution. If you don't like what I'm saying, please come up with a plan yourself." He sat back, put his hands behind his head, and peered at Mikael. "Go ahead," he urged. "I'm waiting."

"Oh, stop that!" Mikael cried. "You know I don't have any ideas of my own. At least not now, anyway. I didn't mean to say that your plan was bad. I was just pointing out possible problems, which need to be brought up in order to do proper planning." He paused. "And by the way…have you told your wife that you will soon be summoning the devil? That's something she should know."

"Well, of course I was going to tell her," Malachai nodded. "Once it was decided that that was the plan we were going to use."

"Because you know that keeping secrets from your spouse is a terrible, _terrible_ thing, Malachai," Mikael continued as Malachai made his way to the phone.

"Why are you here again?" Malachai frowned as he put the phone to his ear. "Did you just come to pester me cause I was a convenient excuse to get you away from Jeffrey, or do you actually plan to help me?" He paused. "Or at the very least, not be in the way."

Mikael rolled his eyes and went to get a drink, but made sure he was in earshot as Malachai confessed what he was going to do to the demons to his wife Helene, who usually spent her days working with her mother at the Council building. After he confessed, there was a silence at the other end of the line, one that lasted so long, Malachai had to make sure she was still there.

"Are you all right?" He asked. "Helene, dear, did you hear me?"

"Of course I heard you," Helene told him. "I just…I'm trying to think about what to say. Are you sure this is the only way to get rid of the demons? It sounds very dangerous!"

"It could very well be," Malachai confessed. "I'm not going to lie. But if it'll get rid of the demons…isn't that more important? I know it sounds crazy and you can lecture me all you want when you get home tonight, but please run it by your mother. Will you do that?"

"All right," Helene agreed, thinking about Selina and her whole situation and how if she went with this plan, she would essentially be aiding in killing someone who had been part of her life for years. "I'll run it by Mom. But I really don't like this, Malachai."

"I don't either," Malachai replied. "I know it's extreme. But it's the best option we have right now."

"All right, goodbye," Helene told him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Malachai told her. "And I'll see you tonight." He ended the call and went back to Mikael, who was looking disappointed. "Sorry you didn't hear anything juicy," he told him. "I know you were hoping for a fight."

"Oh, well," Mikael shrugged. "There's always later, right?"

"Yeah," Malachai agreed. "Unfortunately, I think you're right."

* * *

"Again?" Klaus asked when Sibyl told him that she had a headache and needed to just go straight to bed and skip sex. "If there's something I'm doing wrong, you can tell me, okay? You don't have to just keep making excuses."

"Is that so?" Sibyl raised an eyebrow. "Cause you always seemed like the sensitive type to me, the sort who can't take criticism. I didn't want to ruffle feathers."

"No, this is different," Klaus told her. "If whatever I'm doing is the difference between us having sex and us not having sex, I'll listen. You have my attention."

Sibyl gagged. "Just a minute," she said and ran for the bathroom. After she finished being sick, she came back out again, cursing under her breath. "You didn't see that, okay?"

"What's going on?" Klaus questioned. "I didn't think demons got sick."

"They usually don't," Sibyl shook her head. "Except for when…"

"Except for when?" Klaus asked, coming over to her to put his hand under her chin so she was looking in his eyes. "Talk to me."

Sibyl sighed. "It's nothing," she told him. "I mean, it could be something, but it could be nothing and I don't want us to think about and worry until I'm sure, okay?" She sat down heavily on the bed. "Can you get me some crackers?" She asked. "They're good when you're sick, right? Or do you not know cause you're a vampire?"

"I can get you crackers," Klaus nodded. "And some tea, too. It might soothe your stomach."

Sybil gave him a small smile. "It's like you've done this before."

"I have," Klaus smiled and then kissed her hair. "I'm sorry you're not feeling well."

"Thank you," Sybil told him and watched him go. When he returned with her tea and crackers, she snuggled against him to eat, and then after she'd finished, he left her alone to rest.

When he was gone, she got on the phone and called her son Eric and his wife, Sophia. She had a secret that she didn't feel she could tell Klaus yet, but she had to tell _someone_.

"Hello, Mother," Eric said. His voice was tight and controlled as if he were waiting for her to start a fight with him. She didn't blame him.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

"What?" Eric cried and nearly dropped the phone. "Excuse me?"

"I'm pregnant," Sybil repeated.

"With a baby?" Eric gasped.

"No, with a bunny rabbit," Sybil told him sarcastically before lowering her voice. "Yes, a baby! And Klaus is the father, but I can't tell him yet because I'm afraid of how he'll react. What should I do?"

"You should…You should talk to Sophia!" Eric exclaimed. "Yeah. She could give you much better advice than I could."

"I know you're just saying that as a way to weasel out of talking to me, but I actually think you're right. Thank you, Eric," Sybil replied and waited for her daughter in law to come on the line.

"Eric says you're pregnant," she told her. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Sybil told her. "But I don't know how to tell Klaus. He's the father." She paused. "How did you tell Eric about the twins?"

"I just said it," Sophia replied. "And I think that's what you're going to have to do too. If you want to keep the baby, that is."

"I should probably talk about that with Klaus when I tell him," Sybil agreed. "I just need to figure out when. I think I can hold off for a little bit until I find the perfect way."

"Just make sure you do it before you start to show," Sophia urged. "It'll be less of a shock that way."

"And we want as little shock as possible," Sybil agreed. "Thank you, Sophia."

"You're welcome," Sophia replied. "I was glad to help. If you need more advice, please don't hesitate to ask me."

"I won't," Sybil assured her. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Sophia said. "Take care of yourself. And good luck."


	81. All Kinds Of Irresistible

**A/N- This very sexy chapter is a Christmas present for my friend Vero. Enjoy it, sweetie! :)**

Klaus sighed as he drove home from the grocery store, his trunk full of chips and cookies and soda, all for Sybil. "How she can go from eating nothing but crackers and tea to eating all this junk food," he sighed. "I have to wonder if she…" he paused and shook his head. No, she couldn't be pregnant. She'd told him herself that no female demon had ever gotten pregnant by a non-demon male before. It was probably that she was just celebrating being well enough to eat again.

He parked in the driveway, and made his way into the house, and saw a trail of flowers going from the front door to the bedroom. He knocked and then the door opened. He felt himself be grabbed around the waist and the smell of Sybil's hair flooded his nose as she pulled him close and kissed him deeply while her hands tugged at his shirt.

They broke apart and he helped her pull it off him, along with his pants, before they made their way to bed and were soon naked under the covers. "Did you bring my food?" She panted.

"Yes," Klaus nodded, and kissed her neck and collarbone then paused while his hands gently massaged her stomach. "Are you sure you're well enough to eat all that? Or do this? I can be gentle." He began kissing her belly and she gave a nervous laugh.

"Why would you need to be gentle? There's no reason for that." Sybil shrugged.

"Are you sure?" Klaus pressed. "Are you positive? Please don't keep things from me because you don't think I want to hear them. I _do_."

"That's nice, but I would much rather you kissed me instead," Sybil told him while trying to keep her voice steady. Was he on to her? How could that be?

He kept staring at her expectantly, so to distract him, she kissed him again, her fingers running through his curly blonde hair, then moved so she was on top of him and began touching him under the covers. "See?" She whispered. "Isn't this better than talking? We can always talk later."

"Okay," Klaus nodded. "Whatever you say." He was right, she was pregnant. He felt it in his gut. But he supposed it would be polite to let her tell him instead of just blurting it out.

"Thank you," She grinned and then began sucking on him gently. After he climaxed, they lay next to each other in bed for a few minutes so he could catch his breath, and then he smooched her again.

"How are you doing?" He asked. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Oh, yes," Sybil nodded. "You'll know if I'm not fine, trust me."

"I certainly do," Klaus agreed. "So just let me know when you're rested enough for round two."

"Of course I will," Sybil smiled. "Cause now it's your turn to pleasure _me_!"

"I knew you were gonna realize that," Klaus grinned back. "That's why I wanted to make sure you were ready for it."

"Any time," Sybil urged. "And remember, you don't have to be gentle."

"I'll remember," Klaus nodded, rubbing her vigorously before pushing into her over and over again as she screamed his name until they were both sweating and exhausted. He then got out of bed and grabbed a rose from the bunch that she kept in a vase on the kitchen table, came back, and brushed her cheek with it. "You're a tough girl," he remarked.

"You think so?" Sybil questioned with a smile. "Thank you for noticing." She sat up as he began kissing her neck. "You…you wanna go in the bath?" She asked. "I think…I think I would like that now."

"I would like that too," Klaus nodded and lifted her off the mattress to carry her into the bathroom, sitting her down on the stool by the tub while he ran the water.

As he did that, she looked him over. He certainly wasn't unattractive. Nicely made and a beast in bed? How could she have gotten so lucky? Now if he was okay with them having a baby, everything would be perfect.

"Do you want some help in the tub?" Klaus questioned.

"Oh, all right," she nodded and held out her hand so he could guide her into the water before he climbed in beside her and began scrubbing her with a loofah. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Klaus replied. "It's my pleasure."

* * *

"It was genius of you to zap in a pool," Josh said to Sarah as they took Ellie into the water that night. "Did you just feel glad for the excuse, or…?"

"Oh, not exactly," Sarah smiled. "Ellie's teacher at our Mommy and Me class is just shocked at how much Ellie likes the water at her age," she said. "Some kids are terrified of it. So she suggested that I spend more time at the pool helping Ellie practice. I thought she was right, but just zapping in a pool would be easier. I hope you don't mind me doing it. And I know I need to put a tent around it or something at some point to keep out the cold."

They watched Ellie swim around like a fish and blow bubbles with her face under the water until she got tired. Then Josh wrapped her in a towel and took her in the house. After that was done, he came back and stood still, watching the water in fascination from a short distance away. Sarah had been wearing a t-shirt and waterproof shorts while she played with Ellie, but she was now shedding them after boosting herself out of the pool. As the moon shone down on her, she kicked the clothes aside and strode confidently toward him in a tiny black bikini.

"Surprised?" She grinned and reached for his hand.

"Surprised and very pleased," Josh smiled. He looked her over as both a combination of the moonlight and his own desire made his demon face appear.

Seeing this made Sarah chuckle. "Nice to know you think I'm attractive like this."

"Oh, you certainly are," Josh assured her in his distorted demon voice as he pushed his swim trunks down and pulled her close against him and slipped off her bikini bottoms, his hands roaming freely over her wet body.

"You know, usually I would feel stupid in a situation like this," Sarah told him. "But I don't. I feel…I actually feel… _desirable._ "

"Well, you should," Josh nodded. "Cause you are. I could not want you more right now."

"Yes," Sarah chuckled and put her hands on either side of his face. Then they began kissing as her hands moved from his face, down his back, and over his bottom. The longer the touching went on, the wilder the kissing got until they toppled into the pool with a loud splash.

They broke apart and stared at one another in wide-eyed shock. "Is the mood broken?" Josh asked worriedly, his face human again. "Please tell me it's not. Things were going so well!"

"Nothing is broken for me," Sarah shook her head. "I promise."

"Well, good," Josh smiled and braced her against the side of the pool so he could bury himself inside her over and over again while nibbling on her earlobe. "Cause it's certainly not for me either."

"Good," Sarah moaned as she clutched him tightly. "Good, good!"

After she climaxed with a gasp, they pulled apart, took a deep breath, and then she took off her bikini top and they did a few laps around the pool before putting their clothes back on and going to check on Ellie to make sure she was still sound asleep.

* * *

"Oh, damn!" AnnaLynne cried as she woke up in the morning at the same time as Gregory and they both ran for the shower. But with his longer legs, naturally, Gregory got there first.

"I hate you!" She scowled. "Wouldn't it be gentlemanly for you to let me wash up first?"

"Well, it would, but it's the law of the jungle that the person who gets to the shower first gets to use it," He grinned. "And as you can see…that is me."

"Fine," AnnaLynne turned. "I'll just go find a river to bathe in." She turned around and began peeling off her clothes. "Hand me a towel and my bathrobe, would you? And some soap. I can't lather up without soap, can I?"

He stared at her as visions of her, wet and soapy, crowed into his mind without his permission. "Okay, okay!" He cried, shaking his head. "I-I suppose, if you wanted to, you could shower… _with_ me."

AnnaLynne got close to him and sneaked a hand under his shirt. "It's a nice offer," she said in a breathy voice. "But really. I can wait."

He frowned. "You're doing this on purpose!" He cried. "I know you just want to torture me!"

"Oh, I am most certainly _not_!" AnnaLynne assured him. "I just want to make sure you like me first before I commit. I'm more than a piece of ass, you know. And I don't want to give myself to a man who still shouts at the top of his lungs to his mother about how annoying I am." She paused and gave him a keen look. "You understand, don't you?"

"I'm sorry about saying those things," Gregory promised. "I really am!"

"You're only saying that so I'll give you what you want," AnnaLynne told him. "And it doesn't work that way. Not with me. I shouldn't be so surprised you're thinking more with your man parts than your brain, even though I thought that since your main goal here was to save women, you would be above being at the mercy of your urges."

That made Gregory see red. "Who are you to lecture _me_ about what I do and do not do with my urges?" he snapped. "Demons like you don't control their urges at all! You are _such_ a hypocrite!"

"I seem to have hit a nerve," AnnaLynne observed. "Good. Maybe now you'll go shower like you're supposed to and not waste my time anymore."

"Fine!" Gregory huffed, his teeth showing as he stripped down in front of her. "But here's what you're missing!" After he gave her enough time to look, he turned on his heel and strode toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and turning on the water.

"Not bad," AnnaLynne whispered to herself as she sat on the bed. "Not bad at all." She shut her eyes and pictured him as she listened to the water run and then, after some time, let herself into the bathroom, stripped, put on her unfastened bathrobe, and waited. If he wanted a little peek, she would give it to him.

And she did, opening her robe and flashing him as soon as the shower door opened and the steam cleared. And it was after that that he grabbed her, pulled her close to him, and kissed her hard.


	82. Taking Control Of Myself

AnnaLynne was in shock for the first couple of seconds. Of course it had been her goal to rile him up enough that he would kiss her, but she didn't think she'd actually accomplish that.  
When they finally pulled apart to get some air, she said, "You know you're kissing me, right?"

"Yes," Gregory panted. "Yes, I do."

"Do you like it?" AnnaLynne wanted to know?

"Well, I don't know," Gregory responded and picked her up so that her mouth was closer to his. "I need to do a little more testing to see."

"Oh, that is bullshit," AnnaLynne scoffed. "If you want to kiss me, than just kiss me! We'll get it out of our systems, and-" she was cut off as he held her tight against him, her feet dangling over the floor, and kissed her again. First her lips and then her neck, before he pushed off her bathrobe and moved to her shoulder and down her arm. "Please don't rush it," she requested in a breathy voice. "This is good!" Then, she gasped as he gently sucked on her, breasts, grabbing onto her so she wouldn't fall on the floor.

Finally, he paused and stared at her, his dark eyes full of heat.

"Are you telling me you're done for now?" She grinned. "You know, we could keep going,"

"No," Gregory shook his head, then reached out to cup her breasts. "No, I can't! Not now! I have things to do and you have to shower…so stop being distracted!"

"How convenient that you can just turn things on and off like that," AnnaLynne remarked as she grabbed her bathrobe, put it on, and tied it. "Where did you learn that trick?"

"It's not something I learned," Gregory told her. "It's innate for me. And even if I could teach it, I doubt it would work for a demon."

"I have more self-control than you seem to think I do," AnnaLynne told him. "I can be choosy. I'm not just the sort to fuck anything that moves." She paused. "Now, would you please get out of here while I shower? If you have stuff to do that's so urgent, you should probably go and do it!"

"Yes, all right," Gregory nodded. "Maybe I will!"

He then strode out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him, then got dressed and left AnnaLynne alone, something she was grateful for. She would have used the time to try and figure him out, but that was just impossible. He was so unpredictable. He could be kissing you one minute and acting like it never happened the next, and that sort of change seemed totally normal and natural for him. Of course, in the demon world, there _were_ no men like that, so she wasn't sure how to handle it. She paused and chuckled. Maybe there _was_ a way: torture him mercilessly until he was finally up front with his feelings. She knew he had a weak spot for her body. She'd seen the look in his eyes when she'd lowered her robe. It would be a crime not to exploit it for her own personal gain. Plus, this was one of the few truly entertaining things she could think to do in the Amazon.

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Gregory shouted when the door opened upon his return and he was once again face to face with AnnaLynne in her underwear. "Don't you ever dress?"

"Well, I _was_ dressed," AnnaLynne told him. "But remember, we're in the Amazon; I got hot, so I undressed. Can you blame me?" She strode toward him. "Are you hot too? Would you like me to help you into something more comfortable?"

"Why are you doing this?" Gregory asked. "Is this the not-so-subtle way you have of telling me that you want to sleep with me?"

"Oh, of course not!" AnnaLynne shook her head. "I'm doing this for you because I can tell you want to sleep with _me_ but are ignoring your feelings."

"I am ignoring nothing!" Gregory shouted as he pushed her against the wall and kissed her deeply, his hands roaming over her body and pushing her panties down to slip his finger insider her over and over again. "I'm not," he whispered against her ear as she moaned. "I'm not, I'll show you…"

"Yeah," AnnaLynne whispered with her lip against his earlobe. "Go ahead and show me. You obviously want to…"

"Oh, shut up," Gregory whispered and smashed his mouth against hers as her fingers went in his hair and mussed it up, making him look adorably disheveled.

"You know, you're right," Gregory panted when he broke the kiss and pulled out of her. "It _is_ kind of warm in here."

"Would you like me to repeat my offer to help you off with your clothes?" AnnaLynne panted after pulling her panties up, her cheeks red. "I'm so glad you're a boxers guy rather than a briefs guy. Briefs are silly."

Gregory removed his shirt and his shoes and socks, walking around the room like that and going to check on the thermostat. "No need for that," he told her. "We'll just see what we can do about getting cooler air in here. That should be enough."

"Oh, for the love of…" AnnaLynne stomped her foot. "I don't believe you!"

"I can't believe you're complaining!" Gregory replied. "Think about what we just did. It's a lot more than I do usually."

"So I'm just supposed to be grateful that you broke your rules and pleasured me? Do you want me to get down on my knees and thank you?" AnnaLynne demanded. "Cause that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I won't do it!"

"Now you're grumpy," Gregory huffed. "That's just great!"

"If you want to leave to get away from me, no one is stopping you," AnnaLynne remarked. "In fact, I insist you go!"

"Why can't _you_ go for once?" Gregory returned. "Why is it always _me_ that has to leave?"

"Cause I say so!" AnnaLynne replied. "That's why."

Gregory scowled. "I'm so glad I didn't let myself go completely and sleep with you. It would have been the biggest mistake of my life!"

"Oh, you would have _loved_ it," AnnaLynne informed him with a smirk. "I'm probably the one who would have been unhappy." She paused and looked at him with disdain. "But on the bright side, I probably wouldn't have been unhappy for very long!"

This made Gregory freeze. His jaw dropped. His eyes narrowed…and AnnaLynne waited for the explosion. But it didn't come. He was tense for a few minutes and then he grabbed her and just screamed in her face. No words, just a scream, before letting her drop to the floor and storming out, and slamming the door behind him.

"Well," she said to herself as she got to her feet and smoothed out her hair. "I think that was a good start. I'll have to congratulate him when he comes back. And whatever breath mint he uses, that was nice."

* * *

"AnnaLynne, we have to talk," Dorian told her severely. "Have you found out anything more about the Amazons? It's been much too long since I've heard from you."

"Oh, sorry," AnnaLynne apologized. "My mind's been on other things. I'll be sure to focus on the Amazons more from now on."

"What could possibly be going on that would be more important than making sure Amazons don't kill demons?" Dorian asked.

"I-I-I don't know if I can tell you," AnnaLynne confessed. "It's a bit embarrassing."

"Oh, come on!" Dorian told her. "I know we haven't always had the best relationship, but you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Well…" AnnaLynne gave a long pause. "Unless you want to have a long chat about my period, I would rather talk to Selina. Can I do that?"

"Oh, definitely," Dorian agreed and ran for his wife, practically throwing the phone at her when he found her after briefly explaining what was going on. "No problem."

"You're not really having problems with your period, are you?" Selina asked when the phone was against her ear and Dorian had run out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"No, I just…it has to do with me and Gregory and kissing and I didn't want to tell Dad about that," AnnaLynne replied.

"You and Gregory kissed?" Selina asked in amazement. "I'm happy for you!" She paused. "Wait a minute. Is that how you want me to feel? Just tell me how I'm supposed to feel and I'll feel like that."

"Well, that's the thing, I don't know!" AnnaLynne replied. "I mean, it was a good kiss and all…and so were the…other things we did, but…it's really hard to get him to feel anything, isn't it? When we did what we did, it was like, he was satisfying urges and that was that."

"And you're distressed about this because you want to have a relationship with him?" Selina questioned. "Cause if you didn't and you just wanted to, you know, be with him, I would think this is the perfect set up for both of you." She paused. "When you say he was 'satisfying urges', are you telling me that the two of you have actually had sex?"

"No, but we've done everything but," AnnaLynne sighed. "And I'm not sure how to continue."

"It's okay to want a relationship with him," Selina reassured her. "But an unfortunate thing that he and his father have in common is that when it comes to sex, they like to do it on their schedule and no one else's, so if you're a particularly sexual person, you'll have to get used to being on a schedule or you'll want to be with someone else."

"Oh, you think that I'll just meekly let him control my sex life?" AnnaLynne asked. "No, no, no. I mean, if it worked for you and Elijah, that's great. But me? Not so much. I'm gonna find a way to have it all!"

"Good luck with that," Selina told her. "I'm proud of you. Please tell me how it goes."

"Oh, I will," AnnaLynne chuckled as she heard the sound of a key turning in the door. "Gregory's back. I gotta go. Talk later!"

"Yes, we will," Selina agreed. "Bye, AnnaLynne!" She paused before hanging up. "Oh, and tell Gregory to call his father, would you? Elijah is a bit hurt that he hasn't heard anything from him since he left."

"All right," AnnaLynne promised before she ended the call. "I will. Don't worry about it."

"Who were you talking to?" Gregory asked suspiciously as he came into the room and saw her putting her phone down on the floor beside her.

"Oh, you don't have to be suspicious like that," she said. "I was just talking to your mother. She told me to tell you to call your dad because the fact that you haven't called him in a while is hurting his feelings."

"Well it just so happens that I was going to call him when I got back," Gregory told her. "And I'm back now. So I am going to find a place with privacy and call my father."

"You're welcome!" AnnaLynne called after him as he strode onto their balcony with phone in hand. "You don't have to thank me for giving you the message!"

* * *

"Well, well, well," Elijah remarked snarkily when Gregory called him. "Look who finally remembered that I existed and called me from the Amazon. What's going on? Are you all right?"

"Physically, yes," Gregory assured him. "I don't see how I could be anything else since I am what I am and all. But emotionally, I don't know how I'm doing. See, AnnaLynne and I kissed, and…"

"You kissed AnnaLynne?" Elijah asked. "I know I told you to be gentlemanly to her, but…wait. Did she initiate it, or did you?"

"Me," Gregory admitted, choosing to leave out their second encounter and only talk about his first shame because that in itself was bad enough. "But only because she wasn't wearing a bathrobe when I got out of the shower and she was naked and beautiful and I was all hot and confused…"

"Oh, I know, son," Elijah sighed, thinking of the first time he'd been in a bathtub with Selina and had kissed her while she was still married to his brother. "I know it's hard to be in control of yourself sometimes. But you have no reason to feel guilty about this. You and AnnaLynne are not related by blood, nor is she seeing anyone. So just…the best way to get past this is to accept that it happened and move on."

"Right," Gregory nodded. "That seems like the best plan." He paused. "I think. Am I going to have a lecture about controlling my urges? She had the nerve to give me one, you know."

Elijah sighed. "Rightfully, I should be telling you to stay away from her because she's a demon, but there are good demons out there too. If you decide you like AnnaLynne and she decides she likes you, I won't try and dissuade you."

"Okay, who _will_ dissuade me?" Gregory questioned as another vision of naked AnnaLynne appeared in front of his eyes. "Can I have their name? Cause I could really use some dissuading about now. Otherwise, I could make the biggest mistake of my life! It's too early! I'm not really ready to commit to anyone yet. Not when Katherine and I haven't even been divorced for very long. Like, if this was going on, say, a year from now, I would be more willing to explore it. But I just…"

"You don't have to explain your logic to me, son," Elijah assured him. "You inherited a firm resolve about that sort of thing from me. Use it. If you feel yourself weakening and aren't ready for the consequences, push back harder. I know you can do it."

"I can!" Gregory agreed, his resolve renewed. "Thanks, Father."

"You're welcome," Elijah said. "Take care of yourself out there."

"I will," Gregory promised. "And I'll try to call more often, too." They said 'Goodbye' to each other and he felt a new surge of faith in his ability to hold off AnnaLynne. But then, when he saw her (fully clothed this time, thank goodness) and she just gave him a wide smile, he hesitated and realized that even if he knew he could stay away from her because he had the willpower, there would always be a small voice in the back of his mind asking him why he would want to if he didn't have to.


	83. A Badly Needed Break

"Are you planning on trapping me in this room and making me analyze or act on my feelings?" Gregory asked AnnaLynne the next morning. "Or am I allowed to actually go out and look for those kidnapped girls, which is the whole reason why I'm here in the first place?"

"No, no, you can go out," AnnaLynne assured him. "You could go out and look for your girls, or you could come hunt Amazons with me. Would you feel the need to be my escort? You don't seem like the sort of guy who is just okay with a woman going out into the jungle on her own."

Gregory sighed. "Oh, all right, I'll come with you," he nodded. "But only because I had a warning from Marpesia that it's quite possible the Amazons are on to us."

"And when were you gonna tell me that?" AnnaLynne asked. "Or were you just gonna keep it a secret forever?"

"Don't you snap at me when I'm trying to help you," Gregory shook his head and, quite by accident, gave her a spanking. "Now get outside, would you? And be careful!"

"You want me to be careful?" AnnaLynne asked, looking at him in surprise. "I thought you'd want me to be as heedless as possible so I'll get eaten by a crocodile or drown or something and you won't have to deal with me anymore."

"You get on my nerves, but I'm not so heartless as to want you dead," Gregory replied patiently. "But when I say I need you to get moving, I mean it."

"And what will you do if I don't," AnnaLynne grinned. "Will you spank me again? I liked that."

"Of course you did," Gregory sighed and pushed some of his longish dark brown hair out of his eyes. "I regretted it the second my hand hit your bottom."

"You say that now," AnnaLynne told him after a loud and unladylike snort. "But I really do think you liked it at the time and are trying to cover it up now."

"You can think what you want since you're obviously so enamored with the idea of me having a crush on you that you won't look at the situation any other way," Gregory replied. "Now, to change the subject as we go out and watch the Amazon camps, be careful, all right? You tend to jump before you think and I can't be watching you every two seconds."

AnnaLynne patted him on the shoulder, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she spoke. "Thank you, Daddy. I promise I will be ever so careful!"

"You better be, Miss Sarcastic Pants," Gregory said. "We're gonna go now. And when we get to where we're going, how it's gonna work is that you do everything I say when I say it. Do you understand?"

"The words, yes," AnnaLynne nodded. "Whether or not I'll actually listen to them is up in the air."

"Oh, I know that," Gregory sighed. "But I said them so that when something bad inevitably happens to you because you were foolish, I can say 'I told you so' and shoulder no blame whatsoever."

"Oh, get real," AnnaLynne shook her head. "I sense a hero complex in you. No matter how much you dislike me, you won't let anything bad happen to me at all."

"I know," Gregory scowled and opened the door for her. "And it's really, _really_ irritating."

* * *

"Would you let _me_ spy for a bit?" AnnaLynne questioned and elbowed Gregory out of the way so she could get a look at what they suspected was an Amazon camp not far from where they were staying where a bunch of tall women were going in and out of buildings and some were huddled together with weapons, talking. At one point, Gregory even thought one of them turned her gaze to their hiding spot and looked directly at him. But then he told himself he was imagining it.

"I'm bored and I want something to do! We've been here for a gazillion hours!" AnnaLynne continued to grouse.

"Don't yell, you silly person!" Gregory whispered angrily. "Spying is supposed to be a _quiet_ thing!"

Sighing, AnnaLynne wiped the sweat off her brow and wished they could get somewhere that was cooler and less steamy. "Fine," she sighed. "While you spy because you're so much better at it than me, I am going to find a cool waterfall to soak in. There's one that's not far away. I can hear it." She grinned to herself and came to touch his arm. "And when you're hot and bothered and your shirt is soaked with sweat, you can come and join me. I'll be waiting for you."

"No!" Gregory shook his head, although AnnaLynne was already sweaty enough that her clothes were sticking to her body and showing off all her curves. "Well, not right away, anyway."

"No," He whispered angrily, running after her to try and stop her, but soon she seemed to disappear, so he sighed and decided to let whatever happened to her happen. If she was just gonna be gone like that, it's what she deserved.

She soon found the waterfall and a small body of water underneath it. She stripped off her clothes and dove into the cold water without hesitation, glorying in the coolness against her skin. She trod water for some time until she submerged herself and re-emerged to find Gregory standing over her and looking irritated.

"Hey," she smiled. "Did you finally decide to take off your clothes and join me? There's plenty of room and the water feels really good after being in the heat."

"No, I did _not_ come to skinny dip with you!" Gregory replied irritably. "I came to tell you that you've had enough time to cool off, and now you should put on your clothes and come and do your job like your father asked you to. Can't you be responsible for two seconds?"

"Oh, whatever," AnnaLynne blew a raspberry and splashed him. "Instead of worrying about me being responsible, why don't you just chill out for a bit?" She swam close to the edge of the water and peered at him. "Could it be you don't want to skinny dip with me or do anything like that at all because you're a big scardy cat? You know, you're missing out on a lot of fun, but if that's what you want, it's your problem, not mine."

Gregory rolled her eyes and gritted his teeth. "If I come in the water with you for a little while, will you leave me alone about being boring?"

"Yes," AnnaLynne nodded. "Of course. It's not a difficult concept to grasp, Gregory. Are you gonna do it? Do I get to watch you strip?"

"No!" Gregory shook his head and frowned. "I mean, I'm coming in with you, but there is no way I'm letting you watch me undress. Turn your head or shut your eyes or something until I say it's all right."

AnnaLynne put her hands over her eyes and remarked, "You know, I don't know why it is you're so shy. You have a _great_ body."

"Thank you," Gregory flushed, glad he wasn't looking directly at her. "Your hands better still be over your eyes!"

"Yeah," AnnaLynne confirmed, even though she was peeking through her fingers and enjoying what view she could get. "Of course they are."

She then heard a splash beside her and Gregory finally gave her permission to move her hands.

"Well, hello there," she smiled and moved close to him. "I'm glad you came. I was getting lonely by myself."

Gregory chuckled. "Yeah, right. The only reason you're glad I'm here is because I'm naked."

"Okay," AnnaLynne admitted. "That's one of the reasons. But I also think that this is a break you sorely need." She splashed him and he sputtered and spat.

"What in the hell did you do that for?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I just wanted to see what you'd do. You can go ahead and do it back to me if you want."

"All right," Gregory smiled and splashed her before pushing her under the water. They continued to splash and play until at one point, in an attempt to stop another splash, AnnaLynne grabbed Gregory, stood up on her toes, and kissed him. This went on for barely two seconds before he pushed her away looking horrified. "Don't do that!" He scolded. "When I say that I don't need your help getting in touch with my feelings or my sexuality or whatever, I mean it! So just stop, okay? Stop being a big pain in the ass!" He expected her to just roll her eyes and make some sharp retort, but as he got out of the water, he watched her face crumble and tears flow from her eyes.

"How can you be so _cruel_?" She cried. "I know you and I have our differences, but I thought you were nice underneath all your stodginess! Or at least gentlemanly! Don't I deserve that?" She paused and wiped her eyes. "But I guess not! I guess I deserve to be treated badly, by you and every other damn person in my life including my father, for no reason but the fact that I was being myself. I don't know what the problem people have with me is, but I'm great and if you don't believe that, you can just go to hell!" She then boosted herself out of the water, grabbed her clothes, and strode away, leaving a deeply shaken Gregory behind.

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey!" Gregory shouted, finally getting his bearings and catching up to a sobbing AnnaLynne who'd had to pause and catch her breath as well as zap herself back into her clothes so she was dressed like he was. "I'm sorry for what I said. Will you talk to me?"

"I've already told you that if you can't deal with being there for me, you can just go to hell!" she told him, her eyes blazing. "I don't know what else there is to say."

"Will you stay _still_?" He cried, grabbing her and pulling her against himself, then reaching in his pocket with his free arm and producing a monogrammed handkerchief, which he wiped her tears with.

"Is that seriously a monogrammed handkerchief?" She sniffled. "I didn't know people still had those."

"Well, my father got me a set as a gift," Gregory told her and then handed it to her. "You can even blow your nose on it if you want."

She did and he tried not to wince.

"You have me all wrong, you know," he said, taking her face in his hands as he looked deep into her eyes. "I really do like you. A lot. I know I give the impression that that's not the case, but it is. And I…I want to be close to you. Please let me. Will you let me?"

"Okay," AnnaLynne nodded. "You're just lucky you know how to kiss, Mister."

Chuckling, he picked her up and took her back to the waterfall, setting her down near it and pulling a blanket out of his pack, which he laid on the ground and then let AnnaLynne watch while he undressed.

"You want me to undress you?" He asked with a smirk as she stared. "Or do you think you can do it on your own?"

"I can," AnnaLynne nodded and ran her hands over his bare arms, which were more muscular than she'd expected. "But please, I want you to do it anyway."

"As you wish," Gregory whispered in her ear and nibbled and licked on the lobe before he undressed her too and they fell onto the blanket by the waterfall, both still wet from their swim. Then he pulled her close again, his hands roaming over her body before he looked deep into her eyes and smiled at her as his fingers threaded through her hair and she parted her legs, her breath picking up.

"You don't wait long, do you?" he chuckled and gave her a rub.

"No," she shook her head, her eyes becoming demon eyes for a few seconds. "I'm a demon. Waiting's not really my thing."

"Well, I don't want people to say I keep ladies waiting," Gregory chuckled and pushed into her over and over again as she cried out in ecstasy and yelled his name so that it echoed off the nearby rocks.

Eventually, they both separated and clung to each other, exhausted.

"I don't…I don't want to feel like I'm leading you on," Gregory told her at last after several minutes of silence. "So I might as well say this now: What we did was nice…but I don't…I don't want you to think I intend to make a habit out of it. I'm still too recently divorced to jump into a relationship right now. You understand, don't you?"

AnnaLynne got to her feet, zapped on her clothes, and tossed Gregory his. "Can I say," she snapped, "that you really know how to spoil a good moment. You should be so damn proud for using someone who expressed all their vulnerabilities to you for your own selfish pleasure! Well, fine! If us being a thing isn't a problem, maybe the kind thing for me to do would be to leave you alone and not come back. Would you like that? Cause that's what it sounds like!" She stomped off, not even waiting for him to finish getting dressed, and when he finally zipped up his pants and turned around, he saw no one.

"AnnaLynne?" He called. "Where did you go? I know you're mad, but you have to realize that it's not the best idea to go off on your own here! You could get kidnapped or hurt, or…" his heart sank as a shriek rang out through the trees, and that was when Gregory noticed two Amazons watching him nearby, and they had someone in their grip.

"AnnaLynne!" He ran toward them but before he reached them, they disappeared, leaving Gregory all alone.


	84. A Not Real Secret Secret

"What is it that you want to tell me?" Jeffrey asked Sybil as she let him in her and Klaus' front door and put a finger to her lips, even though she had made sure Klaus was conveniently out of the way for a few hours before she called her father and told him to come because they needed to talk. "It's nothing bad, I hope. Are you in trouble? Have you _caused_ trouble? What can I do?"

"No, it's nothing bad," Sybil assured him and sat him down. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Oh, god," Jeffrey sighed. "Since you asked me that, I have a feeling I won't like what I'm about to hear."

Sybil huffed and brought him a beer. "I'm pregnant, all right? That's the news. I just thought you would want to know that you have another grandchild coming. Klaus is the father, but I haven't told him yet because I have no idea how he's gonna react, so I decided to practice on you."

"And Klaus _is_ the father?" Jeffrey asked.

"Yes!" Sybil stomped her foot, her blonde hair flying in her eyes. "I told you that!"

"Well, I hope it's working out for you," Jeffrey said. "It's not often that demon girls get pregnant by non-demon men."

"Actually," Sybil blushed, "it's never happened at all. I'm the first one."

"Oh, my god, really?" Jeffrey questioned, his dark eyes widening. He'd come to talk to her without hesitation because he thought it would mean an absence of the drama that he was getting at home with Mikael and Gwen, but now it was clear that wasn't completely true. "What does that mean? Will you die giving birth to this child? Do you think that carrying it to term is the best idea when you have no idea what the end result will be, either for you or for the child?"

"I admit I'm a little terrified," Sybil admitted. "But yes…I do think it's best. I know that's crazy, but…as long as I've had the opportunity, I've been a terrible mother. Every time I call Eric or hear from him, I know he doesn't _want_ to actually talk to me. I can hear it in his voice." She sighed and put a hand on her belly, looking down at it. "That's why this new baby is so important to me: I want a second chance to fix things that I've screwed up. You understand, right?" She peered at him and gripped his hand hard, hoping to see understanding in his eyes.

It was a long time coming, but finally, Jeffrey got out of his chair and came to put his arms around her, kissing her hair. "I don't know if I can truly be happy about you making a choice that could very well lead to your death, but of course if it's what you want, if it will make you happy, I won't stand in your way. Good luck."

"Thank you, Daddy," Sybil replied and hugged him back hard. "And look on the bright side: just because I'm planning to carry this child to term, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to die. I could live. We don't know. And I feel fine so far, so that's a good thing."

"Yes," Jeffrey nodded. "It is."

"But enough about me," Sybil grinned. "What's going on at your house? Are you getting along with Mikael like Gwen wants you to?"

"I'm trying very hard," Jeffrey assured her. "But sometimes, he makes it very difficult for me." Then he deftly brought the subject back to where he thought it belonged. "When are you going to tell Klaus about the baby? Have you done that? You should do it as soon as possible if you plan to keep the child and want him to be part of the baby's life." He paused. "Unless you want him to be raised like you were."

"Oh, no, there's no need for that!" Sybil shook her head. "Not when I'm pretty much positive Klaus will be on board when I tell him. It'll just be nice to hear it from his own mouth."

"Where is he?" Jeffrey questioned. "I know you invited me over when you did specifically because you knew Klaus would be gone, but…where did he go?"

"He went to have a talk with his brother, Elijah," Sybil replied. "You know, the one whose adopted daughter is a demon? Yeah…he wouldn't tell me what they were going to talk about though." She bit her lip. "I hope it wasn't about the best way to have me get rid of the baby, cause…"

"No, that's not what it is, I don't think," Jeffrey tried to reassure her. "It couldn't be. Not when you haven't even told him yet."

"But he's very perceptive," Sybil pointed out. "And I know that he's had kids with his other wives, so he could have just recognized symptoms of it even if I didn't say anything. Like you know, he's been rubbing my belly an _awful_ lot when we've been in bed lately."

"And how has he looked when he's done that?" Jeffrey asked. "Angry?"

"Oh, no, not angry," Sybil shook her head. "More like he knew I was pregnant, but he didn't want me to know that he knew I was pregnant. Like his knowing was a secret that he was keeping to himself." She paused. "I wonder why he would do that instead of just coming out and asking if he knows?"

"Maybe he thought it would be better for you if you told him first and he didn't just blurt it out," Jeffrey guessed, looking very pleased. "Isn't that nice of him?"

"Yeah," Sybil nodded. "I guess it is." She paused. "I wonder if that's what he and Elijah are talking about?" She questioned. "If he knows this big thing and he feels he can't tell me, I bet he thinks he has to share it with someone in order not to burst and the person he chose was his brother."

"Yes," Jeffrey nodded. "I suspect you're right."

* * *

"So tell me again," Elijah instructed. "Sybil is pregnant, Niklaus? How long have you known this?"

"Well," Klaus leaned forward across the coffee table in Amy and Elijah's kitchen. "I don't _officially_ know. She hasn't told me yet. But I sense it, you know? You and I have both been married to enough women who've had children to be able to tell."

"Why hasn't she told you?" Elijah questioned.

"I think the thought of it is making her nervous," Klaus explained, "Maybe she thinks the thought of having a child who's half-demon will frighten me. I want to assure her that it won't, but…I also want to show my trust in her by letting her get comfortable enough to tell me on her own."

"Well, that's very noble of you, brother," Elijah gave him a smile. "I'm awfully proud. You're learning how to be a decent person!"

"Yes, well…" Klaus cleared his throat. "She's been through a lot and I want to show her I care, not add to her grief. What started out as an adversarial relationship has actually become really nice and I don't want to ruin it."

"And since you don't want to, I don't think you will," Elijah replied. "Maybe you could find some subtle way of showing your support without actually telling her that you know about her condition and that will give her the confidence she needs to tell you everything."

"How can I do that?" Klaus questioned.

"I don't know," Elijah shrugged. "But I could help you think of a way."

"All right," Klaus nodded. "What do you suggest?"

"Well, it's very blunt, but I suppose you could show her pictures of the children you have already and tell her how much you love them," Elijah put forth. "You _do_ have pictures of your other children somewhere, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Klaus cried, feeling offended. "I'm much more sentimental then you are, and I know that even _you_ have an album of photos around, so I _definitely_ would."

"All right, all right," Elijah put his hands up. "Peace, brother. I was only asking to make sure this plan worked. Because I really think it's the best way to get your enthusiasm about parenthood across and assuage any worries she might have." He paused. "But that's just a suggestion of course. Feel free to ignore me like you usually do if you have a better idea."

"You know I never hesitate to do that," Klaus smirked. "But this time…this time you might just be on to something. Thank you, Elijah."

"You're welcome," Elijah inclined his head. "Good luck, Niklaus."

"Thank you," Klaus told him. "I don't know if I'll need it, but it certainly helps."

* * *

Jeffrey had left shortly before Klaus returned home, so Sybil was alone on the sofa when he found her. "Well, hello, there," he smiled. "How are you? Can I get you anything?"

"A little water might be nice," Sybil said.

"Water, coming up," Klaus nodded.

When he returned, he handed her the water and then left again, coming back with several photo albums, which he placed in a stack at Sybil's feet.

"What are all these?" She asked, wide eyed as he helped her pick one of them up and set it in her lap to flip through. "Are these pictures of you and all your children?"

"Yeah," Klaus nodded and looked at the pictures fondly. "They're all grown now, with their own lives." He looked into her eyes. "It's kind of a shame, really. I miss having little ones around."

"Do you?" Sybil questioned, putting that album down and opening another one, smiling at pictures of Klaus and little Roxie at the Enid's. "This is so cute! It's so nice to know you love your kids. Are you serious about wanting more?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded and took her hand to kiss it. "But I…I wouldn't want to rush you, of course. Just…whenever you're ready, we can have children."

"All right," Sybil nodded. "I…I'll think about it for sure." She stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go and see if I have everything I need to make us dinner and go grocery shopping if we're missing anything."

"All right," Klaus agreed. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thanks," Sybil shook her head. "Not yet, anyway. I have something that I need to tell you and I'm going to use the time when I'm at the grocery store and cooking to figure out how to best say it."

"Oh, you have something to tell me?" Klaus questioned. "Well, I can't wait to hear what it is. Is it important?"

"Yeah," Sybil nodded. "I think you could say that." She grabbed her purse and her keys and made her way to the door, but just before she reached it, she was overtaken by a wave of dizziness and fainted.

"Oh, damn," Klaus ran over to her and picked her up, holding her close as her eyes opened. "Sybil, are you all right? What happened?"

"Nothing you have to worry about," she promised quickly, internally cursing the fact that she wouldn't be able to hide her condition for much longer if stuff like this kept happening. "Thanks for picking me up. You can put me down now."

"I know you'd like me to, but I think I would feel more comfortable if I came with you to the store," Klaus said as he carried her out to the car. "I promise I won't try and upstage you when it comes to the cooking, though. If you just let me help you buy things, you can do all the cooking yourself. Deal?"

"All right," Sybil agreed with a smile, starting to enjoy being in his arms as they made their way out to the car. "Deal."

* * *

What Klaus had done by showing her all the pictures of his children was not very subtle, but nonetheless, it gave Sybil the assurance she needed to tell him what was going on with her. She made him dinner as promised, and as they waited for it to cook, they sat across from each other at the table.

"Before we eat, I have something I need to tell you," she said. "I was planning on waiting until after we ate, but…now, after all the talking we've been doing about having children, I don't want to wait any longer." She took a deep breath and locked eyes with him. "Klaus, I'm pregnant _now_. When I passed out, that was why." She paused. "But you already knew, didn't you?"

"Yes," Klaus said and kissed her. There was no reason to hide it. "The second you were asking for all that junk food and being sick and all, I knew. And when I was with you in bed, I sensed it too. I'm very pleased. I can't wait to be a father again."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Sybil questioned.

"Well, because I didn't think you wanted me to," he told her. "I thought it would be a good display of trust between us if you were allowed to tell me about your condition yourself."

"It was…" Sybil nodded. "Thank you…thank you for waiting for me to tell you, even though you didn't have to. I appreciate it." She paused. "And are you _sure_ the thought of having a baby that's half-demon doesn't scare you? If you have any concerns, go ahead and say them now."

Klaus hugged her tight. "The only concern I have is that I don't know what the end result of this pregnancy will be," he said. "You told me that this is the first case of a non-demon impregnating a female demon and I don't want it to kill you. I would be very lonely if it did."

"You would?" Sybil asked, trying not to cry. "You know, my dad said that too. It's nice to know I would be missed if I was gone. But I don't think I will be. Based on how I feel now, I think things will turn out just fine. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Klaus nodded and held her at arms' length so he could look in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere either."

They stared into each other's eyes until the beep of the oven interrupted them and made them look away. "Sounds like it's time to eat," Klaus remarked. "Or at least check on the food."

"Yeah," Sybil nodded. "I'll go do that; you have a seat."

"All right," Klaus grinned and licked his lips. "I can't wait. I'm so hungry." Then he pulled Sybil close and whispered in her ear. "Not just for food, either."

Sybil grinned back and kissed him deeply. "Why do you think I didn't make dessert?" She asked. "Except for I bought a can of whipped cream. We can find a use for that, right?"

"Oh, yes," Klaus went to pour himself a glass of wine and then sat back down at the table while Sybil brought out the steaks. "We certainly can."


	85. The Summoning

"Okay, boys," John said as he, Malachai, and Mikael looked over the spell book that had the incantation in it to bring back Lucifer. "I know we all want to make the demons disappear…but who actually wants to do the honors?"

"We thought you would," Malachai scoffed. "We thought you would kill both of us to be able to say you had the honor of bringing back Lucifer who would get rid of the demons and thus become a hero to magic kind!"

John chuckled. "The thought _is_ nice, and as my family are the oldest and most important magical beings in existence, it would be fitting for me to have the honor, wouldn't it?" He grinned at Malachai. "Plus, it would spare you having to tell your wife that you destroyed her former mother-in-law's life, wouldn't it? _That's_ why you're not so eager to do what needs to be done?"

"I'm not scared of Helene," Malachai told him. "I just…" his voice got quiet. "I just don't like seeing her unhappy. So you do what you need to do, and do it quick." He looked at Mikael. "Unless you want to?"

"No," Mikael shook his head. "When Jeffrey is gone, I want to be able to claim complete innocence of the whole situation. Let's let John take all the blame. He said he wants to."

"Well, I don't think anything will go wrong," John shook his head at their stupidity. "But I love the idea of not having to fight you because you have the good sense to let me do what needs to be done. Bravo!"

"Oh, don't thank us," Malachai told him. "The look on your face when your daughter decides she hates you for getting rid of her boyfriend is gonna be thanks enough for us. Especially if Freya gets mad too."

"I expect trouble from Ingrid because she's young and doesn't understand the ways of the world, but I have a lot of confidence in Freya's ability to listen to reason. She'll understand and be the one to assure our daughter how right I was in the end."

"All right," Mikael stepped back. "Whatever you say…"

"Are you going to leave when I do this?" John glared at them. "If you're too scared, you can leave. Otherwise, you can stay, but you'll need to be silent."

"Why do you think you can ask us to leave?" Mikael bristled. "We're all part of this!"

"Oh, I know," John chuckled. "I just…I don't want you to be scared. This isn't gonna be like walking through a field of flowers and bunnies, you know. We're calling up dark forces."

"We know that!" Malachai spat. "And we're not new to any of it! We know what we're getting into! Now do what you say you're gonna do! The way you're lollygagging, I have to wonder if you're frightened to do this too!"

"I'm not frightened!" John bellowed so loudly that the windows of the room rattled. "I am just waiting for the right moment. You can't do something like this all willy-nilly, you know?"

"And when will the exact moment be?" Mikael asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "We can't be here forever, you know. And you can bet that both Malachai and I want to watch you until you do what you say, instead of just abandoning everything once our backs are turned."

John sighed and got out the spellbook. "Well, all right fine!" He spat. "You can watch me do this since you need to so badly. But if it shocks you, if it frightens you, don't complain to me."

"Oh, we won't," Mikael assured him. "Cause that won't happen."

John thought about giving them more detail as to why it probably _would_ happen, but he figured it wouldn't do much good and he was no longer in a forgiving mood anyway. He opened the book to the right spell, turned off the lights, lit some candles, made sure Mikael and Malachai were quiet, and then recited the spell to summon the devil with as much as ease as if he were doing something like reading off a grocery list.

They then waited and…nothing.

"Are you sure you did that properly?" Mikael had the boldness to ask.

"Yes!" John nodded and showed him the spell. "You heard me! You know I said exactly that. I don't know what's going on."

"Let _me_ try," Mikael suggested and elbowed John aside.

"Oh, you won't do any good!" Malachai yelled. "You don't even have magic!"

Mikael opened his mouth to reply but then realized in frustration that Malachai was right. "Damn!" He cried and stomped over to sit on the couch. They waited several more minutes, but no devil appeared.

"Well, that was a bust," John sighed. "And I had such high hopes."

They were about to leave when Malachai had a thought. "What if it _did_ work, but he doesn't come on command?" He suggested. "I mean, he's Lucifer, not a genie in a bottle. Damn, now we're just gonna have to wait for him to show up."

"How annoying," Mikael remarked. "No one seems to care to be prompt anymore."

It was then that the power went out again and they heard a loud bang and a wall of fire manifested close enough to them that it set Mikael's pants alight.

"Oh, god!" Malachai cried and ran around for a bit in a panic until he finally had the good sense to go and get some water with a bucket, which he dumped all over Mikael. When that fire was out, they tried their best to put out the bigger one, but nothing did it.

Finally, they heard the clearing of a throat and watched in shock as the fire fizzled out on its own.

"Are you done now?" Asked a bemused, silky voice. "I thought you would be able to put my fire out right away, but watching three of you, you're just pathetic. I've never run into anyone so incompetent and foolish that I've had to put out my own fire! That really screws up an entrance, you know!"

They turned to face the speaker, a man all in black with dark hair and red irises, who strode purposely toward them and used his powers to pin them against the wall so they couldn't run off while he was talking and instead just whimpered under their breaths as they waited to see what he would do to them.

"What…what do you want from us?" Malachai finally got the courage to squeak out.

"Oh, don't be stupid," Lucifer snapped and squeezed Malachai's cheek, making his head go from side to side. "I'm Lucifer! I don't want anything from you. I don't even want to _be_ here. I have much more important things to do with my time than attend to the whims of three warlocks who have no idea what they're doing."

"Actually, Mikael's not a warlock," Malachai corrected. As long as he was already in trouble, he might as well keep going. "And we're not completely clueless. In fact, you might like what we have to say."

"I doubt that," Lucifer replied. "But I obviously can't leave until I let you talk to me, so go on and make it quick."

"You need us to tell you?" Mikael questioned. "How could you not know that we have the demons? How could you not be missing them? We called you because we wanted to give you the opportunity to take them back!"

Lucifer looked back and forth between Mikael and John and then asked John, "Do they know anything about what your sister's plan was when she made those demons?" He chuckled. "I was only supposed to keep them until the right conditions popped up for them to be released! Now with all these different magical species at war with each other, it was the right time! They haven't even done their jobs, so I'm not taking them back…at least not yet. Not until _I_ want to. I always do things on my own schedule, not anyone else's. And I think there's still some amusement to be had before the demons go on their way."

"You're doing this on purpose!" John said. "I should have known since you're in league with my despicable sisters!"

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda, but didn't," Lucifer remarked as he bared his teeth. "Why you actually thought I would do exactly what you wanted is beyond me…but then Hazel never _did_ have a particularly high opinion of you, so I can't say I'm surprised." He paused and made his way to the door. "Good day, lads. It was nice for us to have this little chat, but I've said what I came to say and now I'm bored, so…goodbye!"

"Hey!" John called as he, Mikael, and Malachai squirmed while their feet dangled above the floor. "Won't you let us down?"

"Oh, fine," Lucifer rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. "I suppose." But he made sure they fell hard on the floor and then slammed the door behind him, glad to have that annoyance over with and be able to move onto something… _anything_ that was more pressing while they had to deal with what they would tell their families, especially since they all had some sort of demon connection that Lucifer's presence would end.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Gwen glared at Mikael as he sat between her and Jeffrey during what was supposed to be a romantic dinner, making him out of place. "We are trying to eat and we want our privacy!"

"Oh, all right," Mikael told her and rose to his feet. "I suppose it _would_ be nice of me to leave and give you what time you need. Enjoy."

This made Jeffrey suspicious. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? What's going on in your head? Do you know something we don't?"

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing," Gwen scoffed as she held him back. "Jeffrey, sit down, eat your broccoli, and leave Mikael alone. Whatever he's got going on shouldn't matter when we're getting peace and quiet. We should, like he says, enjoy it. Who knows how much we'll have?"

"Listen to Gwendolyn, Jeffrey," Mikael said over his shoulder as he decided to go out and stare at the sky. "She knows what she's talking about. She's smart that way."

He strode off and left Jeffrey and Gwen to put down their forks and peer at each other as they tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Gwen told Jeffrey at last. "He's probably alluding to some ridiculous plan he has to get rid of you so he can have me all to himself, but that's not new, is it? It's nothing that we can't handle, whatever it is."

"Exactly," Jeffrey nodded and gave Gwen a kiss. "It was so nice of him to give us a warning, even if we don't exactly know what we're fighting against."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Gwen said. "We can always get it out of him later. And I'll even let you use whatever means necessary!"

"Would you?" Jeffrey smiled. "How nice! I like that idea!"

"I thought you would," Gwen nodded. "Now why don't we eat our food before it gets cold? We don't want to waste good salmon, that's for sure,"

"No," Jeffrey cut into it with his fork and put some in his mouth. "No, we sure don't."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Helene questioned as Malachai took his dinner away from the table where he, his son William, William's girlfriend (and Klaus' daughter) Lucy, and Helene were eating, and went to sit in the living room on the sofa. "Why are you moving? You can sit with us. Or would you rather watch TV while you're eating? We can come in here and sit with you. No problem!" She gestured for the other two to come sit on the couches and soon they were all eating in front of the TV, although Malachai was still in no mood to make conversation.

Helene was confused by his silence until it finally occurred to her what might be worrying him. "Did you do it?" She asked quietly. "The spell to get rid of the demons?"

"Yes," Malachai nodded. "Well, John did it, not me. But we called Lucifer up and he's here somewhere. But he hasn't made the demons go away yet. He was too busy laughing when we told him what we wanted. But I'm sure…sure he'll do what we want at some point."

"When he says he'll take the demons back, it's _just_ the demons, right?" William asked worriedly as Lucy squeezed his hand. "He won't be interested in, say…warlocks who can shoot fire when emotionally overwrought?"

"No, you don't need to worry," Malachai assured his son. "You are not a demon. You are an unsual warlock. There is a difference. I promise you that no matter what happens with Lucifer or the demons, we won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded and kissed his cheek. "We sure won't."

"Good," William hugged her back. "Thank you."

William's worry suddenly brought into focus some things that Malachai hadn't thought of before. "Oh, damn," he whispered. "I—I didn't know…what have I done?" He stood up.

"Malachai, what's wrong?" Helene came and put her arms around him. "Talk to me."

"I thought that getting rid of the demons was a good idea for everyone," he said. "I really did, but…now I'm not so sure. What about Sarah? She's married to one and I already don't see her enough as it is! If she finds out I was party to making her husband disappear, she'll never talk to me again! And I'll never see little Ellie…adorable little Ellie…" His head went down in Helene's lap and she stroked his hair. "It'll be all right," she tried to soothe him as he cried. "We'll work something out somehow."

"Really?" Malachai looked up at her. "Even though helping me fix what I've done might make your mother unhappy?"

"Yes," Helene sighed. "But helping you have a relationship with your children is more important."

"Thank you," Malachai hugged her as William and Lucy averted their eyes and tried not to eavesdrop. "Thank you so much, dear,"


	86. The Devil Goes Ice-Skaing

"I don't know why you're making me wait so long to go rescue AnnaLynne," Gregory told Marpesia as she sat on his bed and waited for him to re-emerge fully dressed from his closet to go and begin his own task because Marpesia thought it would ease his mind. "I could have gotten her in two seconds if I would have gone right after she'd been kidnapped."

"I know it seems illogical and I am very sorry if our waiting makes something happen to her," Marpesia replied. "But if you had gone immediately after her kidnapping, they would have taken you too, killed you, and then killed her. This way, she has a chance to be rescued because the Amazons now think you're no longer interested in what they're doing."

Gregory leaned forward and eyed her intently. "And just what is that? Do you know? Is AnnaLynne the only woman who's been kidnapped? Are they planning on killing the girls? What's happening?!"

Marpesia's dark eyes didn't meet his for a long time, keeping her gaze on her lap for a long time before she finally sighed, brought her head up, and looked him in the eye. "I can't tell you for certain what will happen with AnnaLynne in particular because she's a demon and there's the demon-Amazon rivalry that could make them decide to kill her if they actually know what she is. But if they just continue to think that she's a typical human, they'll go through with the ceremony to change her into an Amazon and add her to their ranks. That's what they're doing with the other girls."

"That's not as bad as I feared," Gregory replied. "I mean, in the sense that I was terrified they would just kill her immediately. I mean, like you say, it could still happen if they find out she's a demon, but there are nice Amazons, right? Or are they all blood-thirsty?"

"Most are," Marpesia told him. "If you want any sort of life with AnnaLynne at all, I think it would be best for you to rescue her."

Gregory scoffed. "Of course I want her saved because it's the only way I'd be able to face her father, especially after I promised my mother I would look after her. What makes you think I want to rescue her so that we can have a life together? I don't know where you would get that idea!"

"Well, gee, you don't think the fact that you're so worried about her safety now isn't a hint?" Marpesia smirked. "If your relationship to her was meant to be something more at a distance, you wouldn't be so affected, I don't think."

"I admit I'm getting used to some of her more annoying qualities," Gregory nodded and pushed some of his hair out of his eyes. "But truly, my concern for her is more about how her father will react. That's it."

"All right," Marpesia touched his shoulder. "You keep telling yourself that if it gets you through the day. But I think the more you deal with this, the quicker you'll realize that there's no way around what you feel for AnnaLynne."

"You make it sound so ominous," Gregory remarked. "If admitting any feelings I might or might not have about AnnaLynne will make me feel so terrible, is it any wonder I'm avoiding them?"

"It makes sense that you are if you're not the type to face that sort of thing," Marpesia agreed. "But what I'm trying to tell you is that you won't be able to keep a lid on them forever. Just a warning. Take it to heart."

"I will," Gregory assured her as he headed off to do his business and try not to think about you-know-who. Then when the door was shut behind him, he muttered, "I will when pigs fly."

* * *

Even though he was a bit more knowledgeable about the Amazons and what they were doing with the girls they kidnapped, it didn't ease Gregory's mind much. He tossed and turned at night, unable to get a sound sleep because he would see the struggling women behind his eyes. In addition, he was kept awake by what sounded like high pitched screams that rang out in the night.

"What in the hell is that?" He asked Marpesia. "Is someone being hurt? What if it's AnnaLynne? We should go see!"

"It can't be her," Marpesia shook her head. "It sounds more like a jungle bird. Just try and get some sleep and I promise you that I'll help you look for AnnaLynne in the morning."

Gregory assured her he would, and once she was asleep, he got dressed to go out in the woods and find the source of the screams, because he was sure it was no jungle bird. And that, more than likely, it was AnnaLynne, or one of the other poor girls.

Once he was out of the house, though, it wasn't long before Marpesia, now fully dressed and awake somehow, was following behind him. "What are you doing?" He whispered angrily. "You're supposed to be asleep! Let me do this on my own!"

"When you have no idea what you're getting into?" Marpesia whispered back. "Not a chance! If you really need to see what's happening, to ease your own mind or for any other reasons, I'm coming with you. You'll find what you want quicker that way."

"If you look at it that way, it's a good idea," Gregory nodded. "Thank you. Let's go!"

"Just to warn you though, when we get there, you might be scarred by what you see," Marpesia warned him. "The girls scream for a reason, you know."

"Thanks for the warning so that I can be prepared," Gregory told her. "I appreciate that." He paused. "Can I ask you a question, even if it's of a somewhat personal nature?"

"Sure," Marpesia nodded. "I've got nothing to hide."

"Will you get in trouble for helping me like this?" Gregory questioned. "Cause I don't want to repay your kindness by getting you in trouble."

"I am an Amazon," Marpesia nodded. "But my personal relationship to the rest of my species is complicated. I've been ostracized specifically _because_ I dared to question the harsh ritual that new initiates to the Amazon community must undergo. But since the rituals are tradition and give the strength and toughness Amazons need, no one is really in a rush to change things."

"And you think that AnnaLynne will be killed?" Gregory asked as they wound their way through the jungle.

"If they find out she's a demon, yes," Marpesia nodded. "They wouldn't hesitate. And since she doesn't seem like the sort willing to hide something like that, even for her own good, I think she's dead meat if we don't get to her quick."

"Yes," Gregory sighed. "My thoughts exactly."

It was another loud scream that told them they were getting close. "Are you all right?" Marpesia questioned when she saw how badly the noise had made Gregory start.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Gregory assured her and wiped the sweat off his brow. "And even if I _wasn't_ okay, I know you wouldn't be able to do much for me. And no, before you suggest it, at this point, going back to my bed is not an option."

"I wouldn't even _dream_ of suggesting that," Marpesia assured him dryly. "There's no point." Then she put a finger to her lips and pointed into a clearing. "We're here," she mouthed.

But there was really no need for Gregory to be told what was so obvious. As he pushed the large leaves of the plants aside, he saw a group of tall, unfriendly-looking Amazons standing around a group of frightened young women who were tied together in a circle and blindfolded. Each girl was sobbing and calling out, their voices full of fright. But though that was disturbing enough, it was nothing compared to what happened to them when they were freed from their bonds to start the initiation process.

Once they were free, from what Gregory was seeing, it was as if the biggest part of the initiation was that the girls were hurt in several different ways, all immensely painful.

"Why are they doing that?" Gregory questioned Marpesia when he finally was able to look away from a young woman who was being burned with a torch. "How are they supposed to keep recruits if they wound them all so much that they die or can't walk?"

"Oh, they never hurt them so much they kill them," Marpesia assured him. "Just enough that they become desensitized to pain. At least that's the thought behind the exercise. It doesn't always work, though. Sometimes the girls let fear rule them so much that they die from fright alone."

"Well, I don't blame them!" Gregory remarked as he watched the girl be stabbed now. "That really looks like it hurts! Who wouldn't be terrified?"

Seeing innocent women hurt that way was bad enough. But then, during a break in the action, a very resistant AnnaLynne, who was punching everyone she could reach, her demon face very visible, was hauled out in front of the assembled crowd.

"Look who we got our hands on," Exclaimed the leader. "A demon! We caught her spying and we can't have that. We have to give the demons a message that will make it clear to them that we won't be threatened. And she'll be the perfect way, don't you think?"

A cheer rose up and AnnaLynne looked as if she were swearing.

"Stay," Marpesia told Gregory when she sensed he was just itching to run out and play the knight in shining armor. "We need a plan! Besides, demons are hard to kill, they know that. She isn't just going to be dispatched right away."

"So I get to watch her suffer," Gregory threw up his hands. "That makes it _so_ much better!"

"I will help manage her rescue," Marpesia promised. "What would be best for you to do is go tell her father what's happened just…just on the off chance we don't get her home."

"You…you mean you want me to call her father and tell him that AnnaLynne is being hurt and could very possibly be killed and I did nothing to stop it?" Gregory asked. "That's something to look forward to!"

His voice went shrill when he said the last sentence, which made the head Amazon drop AnnaLynne on the ground. "Who's that?" She asked her fellows. "Who's there? Someone is watching us! Find them!"

"And now we run," Marpesia told Gregory, then grabbed his hand as they sped back to their beds and locked the door behind them, and after he got his breath, Gregory decided that he would call Dorian and break the news to him so it wasn't hanging over his head. That would ease his mind a little.

* * *

"Gregory?" Selina got out, trying to stifle a yawn as she made her way to the kitchen with phone in hand. "I love our conversations, but if it would be feasible for you to call during daylight hours, that would be even better."

"I know," Gregory apologized. "I'm sorry. But what I have to say is very important! I mean, I should be telling Dorian because it's about AnnaLynne, but it's something that will make him hate me and I'm too chicken to hear that sort of talk from his lips, so that's why I need you to give him the message once I've told you what's going on, Mother. Would you?"

"Of course!" Selina assured him. "Gregory, what in the world is going on? Is she in trouble? Ill? What?"

"Oh, she's in trouble all right," Gregory confirmed. "The Amazons have been watching us just like we've been watching them and they managed to kidnap AnnaLynne. They're going to use her to send a message to any demon opposition that they won't be trifled with."

"That's terrible!" Selina cried. "Is she dead now?"

"No," Gregory shook his head. "We have that to be thankful for. But if we don't do something, she _will_ be dead, eventually. Our guide, Marpesia, is working on rescue efforts, but I just…I wanted to let Dorian know what's happened in case…in case it all fails and AnnaLynne doesn't come home. Would you also tell him that I'm sorry? Please? I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault."

"It's not," Selina assured him, her voice uncharacteristically somber and tight. "You can't control what the Amazons do. He'll understand that, and he'll be touched that you're trying to save his daughter. Thank you for that. I know the two of you haven't been the best of friends."

"I wouldn't behave any other way," Gregory assured her. "Now that I've said what I needed to say, let's try and get some sleep, all right?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "Good idea. Do you want me to have Dorian call you once I've told him the news?"

"Yes, thanks," Gregory said. "I think I would like that. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Selina told him, picturing her husband's face just crumpling when she told him what was happening. "Thank you for telling us and…you sleep as well as you can too."

* * *

"Oh, sweetie, you look exhausted," Sarah said as Josh trudged into their house soon after and nearly fell in the front hallway.

"I am," he said. "Tonight was the night I had the meeting with the blue demon section of the council and tried to get people to be friends. And that is difficult, let me tell you." He smiled and hugged Sarah for a long time before grabbing Ellie and kissing her. "I should have brought you with me," he smiled at her, kissing her neck and making her giggle. "You're so cute that anyone would want to get along around you."

"But do you still think you're up to running the government?" Sarah put a hand on his arm. "Or is it too much?"

"I can do it," He assured her and picked her up to spin her around after putting Ellie down on the floor. "I just need more practice. But enough of that." He went over to the radio, turned it on, and began dancing with her. "This is much more fun, don't you think? I'm good, I swear. I won't step on your feet." He twirled her and dipped her as Ellie danced and giggled beside them until Josh let her take her turn by putting her little feet on his bigger ones.

"She's doing pretty well, don't you think?" Sarah smiled and ruffled Ellie's hair. "Keep doing that. I think I want to get a picture because this is just too adorable!" She went and did just that and Ellie danced with Josh until they caught her yawning and decided it was time to take her to bed.

"Would you do that?" Sarah questioned. "I have something I need to do."

"What?" Josh asked. "Could I do it instead?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "Cause what I'm doing is a surprise for you and you can't see it until it's ready."

"Are you serious?" Josh asked. "I mean, I see a mischievous twinkle in your eye, so you must be. I have to say, I'm very excited."

"Well, the sooner you say 'Good night' to Ellie and Mr. Fishy, the sooner you'll be able to join me," Sarah told him and gave him a wink. Then she ran off to their bedroom while Josh got Ellie to bed.

"All right," he told her. "Here's the plan: You're going to say 'Goodnight' to Fishy, I am going to tuck you in and turn off the lights, and then you're going to go to sleep, all right?"

Ellie smiled and nodded and was with the program until Josh was just about to turn off the lights and leave. Then she went back on her promise.

"Story, Dada!" She cried, sitting up in her crib. "Story!"

"No," Josh groaned cause he knew she could sucker him into reading to her when he had other things to do because he couldn't tell her 'No'. "No story! Time for sleeping!"

"Please?" Ellie begged, her eyes big. It was as if she knew what she was getting in the way of and enjoying it. "Story, please?"

"Oh, all right," Josh agreed. "But just one!" He picked her up out of her crib and read her a quick version of 'Goodnight Moon' before putting her back in bed and tucking her in again. "There now. I read you your story, so goodnight." He kissed her and then made his way to the door. "Goodnight, Ellie Bean." He then let out a sigh of relief at her response.

"Bye-bye, Daddy."

He shut the door behind him and then ran to meet Sarah, who was on her stomach on the bed, wearing a blue silk negligee with a lace border. "You know, I wondered if you were going to come," she said and did a little sexy dance as she made her way toward him, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Josh apologized as she helped him off with his shirt and pants. "Ellie wanted a bedtime story and she made the face. You know how I can't refuse that cute little face." He put his hands on her face and peered into her eyes before kissing her deeply. "Of course I can't say 'No' to _your_ face either. Sorry I kept you waiting."

"Oh, that's fine," Sarah grinned as she led a boxer clad Josh to bed. "I figured what was going on."

"You…you look so _sexy_ ," he told her, his eyes going black.

"Oh, please," she chuckled and flushed. "Go on."

"I really do like it," He pulled her tight against himself and ran his hands down over her body, squeezing her bottom.

"It's good you like it cause it makes me feel kind of ridiculous still," Sarah told him and then nibbled on his earlobe. "Like I'm a Madam at a bordello or something."

Josh chuckled. "You sound so much like your dad right now. Did you learn that word 'Bordello' from him?"

"Yes, but let's not talk about my dad, please," Sarah shook her head. "Can we focus on getting me out of these clothes?"

"Oh, sure" Josh nodded and deftly got her out of the negligee before they buried their naked bodies under the covers and then, without much foreplay, began their lovemaking.

"Wow, that meeting made you just as tense as you said," Sarah remarked as Josh pushed into her. "You seem like you have a lot of emotion to get out."

"Sorry," Josh paused and kissed her forehead. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, not at all," Sarah shook her head. "You're doing well."

"Good," Josh smiled. "I wouldn't want it to be not good."

"That'll never happen," Sarah smiled as he buried himself inside her again and kissed her neck. "It'll always be good because you'll always be the one I love. There'll never be anyone else for me. You know that?"

"Yes," Josh nodded and rolled off her for a moment so he could lie beside her and look at her smiling face. "And since you know I feel the same way about you, I am so glad to hear it."


	87. Little Black Clouds

"I'm so sorry about AnnaLynne," Selina told Dorian as they sat in his office over the lunch hour. Of course, even a few days after Gregory's phone call, he was still thinking about her being lost in the Amazon and at the mercy of some of the demons' greatest enemies.

"I should never have sent her," Dorian shook his head as Selina put her arms around him. "I mean, of course when I decided the mission needed to happen, I was aware that there would be _some_ danger, but AnnaLynne is so strong. So tough. That's one of the admirable things about her. I was sure that whatever happened, she could handle. I was selfish to put her in so much danger."

"No, you were not," Selina shook her head. "When you sent her, it wasn't with the intent of putting her in harm's way. You were doing a smart thing, trying to get information on the Amazons so that we could know what we're up against. You could hardly call that selfish. And you know what? AnnaLynne _is_ strong. You're right about that. Whatever the Amazons are doing to her, she'll handle it. And plus, she's got Gregory looking after her and when he's asked to protect someone, he will do it and do it to the death if he has to. It's one of his defining things. So she'll come out of this all right. She will. I swear."

"You really think so?" Dorian asked as he rested his head on Selina's shoulder and she began to stroke his hair.

"Yes," Selina smiled and kissed him. "I really do."

"Thank you," Dorian took her face in his hands and kissed her. "I really needed that."

"I know you did," Selina nodded. "That's why I said it."

Dorian took her on his lap and kissed her neck. "Thanks so much for coming to be with me today. I really needed it."

"Of course," Selina assured him. "I wouldn't do anything else. This is a tough thing for you and you shouldn't have to go through it alone." She paused. "You told Gregory you didn't blame him for what happened, didn't you?" She asked. "Cause I told him you would. You thinking less of him really weighed on his mind."

"Yes, I did," Dorian nodded. "When we talked, the shame in his voice was apparent, so I made sure that one of the first things I did was let him know that what happened was not his fault. In fact, from what it sounds like, he's trying to save her. So how can I hate him for that? He's really a fine young man."

"He is," Selina nodded. "Sometimes, I don't understand him because he's much more like his father than me, but in a situation like what's going on with AnnaLynne, that's a very useful thing to be. She'll be home in one piece and regaling us all with the tale of her kidnap and rescue very soon. I know it. Gregory will make sure of it!"

"I know he will," Dorian nodded. "I have to believe that." He paused. "I'm sorry. This is your lunch break. You're probably some sort of hungry. Why don't we stop talking about this and I'll get us some food, and you some blood if you need it. What do you think?"

"Sure," Selina nodded, her stomach growling and a familiar pain making her teeth tingle. "I-I think that would be a good idea before I take a bite out of your neck." She paused. "Although, since I'm a demon now, I could do that safely, right?" Her demon face showed for a moment as she waited for his answer.

"Oh, all right," Dorian nodded. "You have a point." He hung his jacket on the back of the extra chair, undid his tie, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his blue checked shirt. "Is that good enough?" He asked. "Will you have enough room to bite, or do I need to unbutton a few more buttons?"

Selina smiled. "Could you humor me and just take the shirt off?" She questioned. "I would like that very much."

"Oh, I suppose," Dorian said as he heaved an exaggerated sigh, undid the rest of the buttons, and threw the shirt on the chair too. "There. Now stand up. I want you on my lap again." He grinned. "Will that be a problem?"

"No," Selina grinned back and licked her bottom lip. "I like being on your lap very much. But make sure the door is locked. We don't want anyone to interrupt us."

"No," Dorian agreed and locked the door tight. "We sure don't!" He then came over, sat down, sat her in his lap, and after she ran her red-polished fingers over his bare chest, they began kissing passionately until he felt her fangs pierce his skin, the pain making him laugh out loud for a moment before he felt her draw the blood out.

"There," she said when she had her fill and detached herself. "That's enough. Thank you, Dorian. Did I hurt you? How long does it take you to heal? Do you need my blood? Don't stand up too fast, just rest."

"All right," Dorian nodded. He _was_ feeling a little lightheaded, but he figured it would soon pass as long as he stayed still.

Selina soon brought him orange juice and a couple of small, blue-frosted sugar cookies that she'd gotten from the break room. "Here," she encouraged. "Drink this and eat those. It's good for you."

"Thanks," he told her. "Do I taste good?"

"Yes," Selina nodded and kissed him. "Always. But I think I'll wait a while before we do this again. Can I get you some real food? Like a sandwich or something? It wouldn't be any trouble."

"All right, as long as you're offering," Dorian agreed and drank the juice in one gulp. "There's a very tasty club sandwich that they're pushing in the cafeteria downstairs. Will you get it for me, please? It's big, so we can split it."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Sounds good. I'll be back in a jiffy."

* * *

Dorian's worry about AnnaLynne was soon replaced by an even more urgent worry. He was in the middle of a phone conference when it was interrupted by shrieks from outside and Jim charging in looking terrified.

"Sir…sir, I know you're busy, but you need to come out here now," he said, panting heavily. "There's someone to see you."

"Is this person the reason for all the screaming?" Dorian questioned. "Just what is going on out there?"

"Yes, the person is the reason for the screaming, so you might want to apologize to whomever you're talking and tell them that you'll them back later because I'm afraid if you don't meet this other person in a timely manner, bad things will happen. He'll lose his temper."

"My god," Dorian's eyes widened. "Just who the hell is out there?"

"Hello, Dorian," drawled Lucifer, elbowing Jim aside and sending him sprawling on the floor as he pushed his way into Dorian's office. "Long time, no see. Have you missed me?"

Dorian swallowed. "Why are you here? What do you want from me?" Lucifer had always paid special attention to him because he was the first demon.

"You know," Lucifer flicked some dust off the cuffs of his dark suit and sat down. "You should have known the second you and the others began making plans to escape that I would eventually find out and bring you back to your cell."

"But why?" Dorian questioned. "We're doing exactly what Hazel created us for: we're keeping order among her siblings' creations. If you took us away now, what good would it do?"

"If you were just planning on keeping order like you're supposed to, then you'd have a point," Lucifer conceded, sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the desk and putting one leg over the other. "But I know that you're actually trying to build lives for yourselves here, are you not? Marrying witches and vampires and werewolves and spawning hybrid children?"

"And just why is that wrong?" Dorian asked. "Tell me!"

"Your job is to keep order!" Lucifer yelled so loud that the windows rattled. "And it is unnatural for you to want to make hybrid children! That could lead to even worse anarchy than whatever it is that the vampires and werewolves are doing. Do you understand?"

"I understand the words you're saying," Dorian told him in a firm voice as he stared him down without blinking. "But I think you're being a bit over dramatic about the consequences. What evidence do you have that demons marrying into the other species and having hybrid children will make things worse? Tell me and help me understand."

"No," Lucifer shook his head and set Dorian's desk on fire. "I don't have to explain anything to you. Either you tell everyone that they must desist with making hybrid children and kill the ones that live, or I take you all back with me and put you back in your cell, never to re-emerge again."

"No, you won't," Dorian told him firmly. "I won't let you. It's not going to happen."

"Try me," Lucifer replied. "You keep doing what you're doing and you'll see. And I wonder how you'll feel when you _are_ taken away from this place and you know, at the back of your mind, that you could have stopped it, that that was under your control. But you chose to be rebellious instead, all of demon kind paid for it, and it's no one's fault but your own."

"I have nothing to feel guilty about!" Dorian called after him as he left the office and slammed the door behind him. "Not a single thing, damn you!"

But once Lucifer was gone, and Dorian was left with his own thoughts, he wasn't so confident anymore. He wouldn't kill anyone, of course, or make the other demons stop having relationships they loved. But he wondered, if Lucifer came and took them all away like he promised, would he be able to handle the guilt of what he'd done? Or would it all just be too much?

* * *

"I have to thank you," Sybil told Klaus as they cuddled together on the sofa. "You've been really good about…everything."

"Of course!" Klaus assured her and kissed her hair. "Frankly, I'm delighted by what's happened."

"You don't have to over sell it," Sybil assured him. "I already know that you're happy. The reason why I waited so long to tell you was because I was afraid that you wouldn't be and would leave the second you found out. Cause I know that a demon hybrid child can be intimidating."

Klaus chuckled. "For your average demon, maybe," he conceded. "But not for me." He pointed to the pile of photo albums that were stacked in the corner of the living room. "Every child in those books is a hybrid of some sort. Not demon, of course. That itself is new territory, not just for me, but for both of us. I think, though, that I have enough experience from being around my other children that I can at least help us be a few steps ahead."

"Good," Sybil nodded. "Any advantage we have, we need to take."

He put his hands on either side of her face and looked deep into her eyes. "I know you were nervous about me," he said. "But since we've ascertained that I'm fine with all this, you can tell me about the worries you have, if you'd like."

"Well, since this is the first time this sort of hybrid has been born, of course there's the worry that it will kill me," Sybil admitted. "Did either of your other wives have that fear, too?"

"I'm sure they did," Klaus nodded. "In fact, I believe that when Selina was pregnant with Adrian, she became so worried about her ability to be an effective mother that she tried to shoot herself or stab herself or something violent like that."

"Oh, dear," Sybil's eyes widened. "I hope that was the hormones. She seems like such a put together person."

"She has her dark moments still," Klaus replied. "But she's healed a lot over the years."

"Good," Sybil nodded and sighed. "I like that. It could mean there's hope for me after all. I just need to make it through delivery."

"Of course you will!" Klaus snatched her up and held her close. "I don't want you thinking things will go any other way."

"But what if they do?" Sybil questioned. "It's only practical to plan for every possible outcome."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "Please don't make me plan for your death. Just don't." He put a hand on her belly and thought he felt a soft kick. "You'll be fine," he assured her. "You won't die, and neither will the baby. It's telling you so! Can't you feel it?"

"Oh, yes," Sybil nodded. "Considering how connected we are, it's impossible not to. I first felt it this morning and meant to tell you."

"I'm happy about it," Klaus kissed her and gave her a hug. "I really am. It's exciting." Then he saw her yawn. "Are you tired?" He asked her. "Do you need to take a nap? If you do, I'll carry you to bed."

"All right," Sybil nodded and let him pick her up as she lay her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "That's good. I would like that."

So Klaus carried her to bed, tucked her in, and was about to leave her alone when he changed his mind, climbed into bed beside her, and pulled her close to him so he could feel her warmth and hear her heartbeat. She would live through this. She would. He would make sure of it, because the pain of losing her…her and the baby…it would just kill him.


	88. Playing the Devil's Game

"I have to tell him," Dorian decided. Rodan was not at the Council building when Lucifer showed up and he had made sure that the news didn't get out until they had a solution to deal with it in order to curb panic. But it didn't take long for him to realize that he owed his friend the courtesy of being informed of the demon world's possible demise. It was the least he could do for the man who was just beginning to seem like a friend again. And he had to call him quick; Selina was due home soon from some school function and she was another person that would need the news of the demon world's possible imminent demise shared in a delicate way. That was important to him. He shut the door to his office and called Rodan right away, hoping that he would be the one who answered the phone first so Dorian wouldn't have to talk to Katherine first and then lose his nerve about talking to Rodan all together. After taking a deep breath, he grabbed his phone, called Rodan's number, and after a sigh of relief, reached his friend.

"You're calling me?" Rodan asked. "Why? Why would you do that? I didn't know we were talking to each other now."

"This isn't a normal conversation," Dorian snapped. "I have something important to tell you. Just listen, please…"

* * *

Selina was surprised to find that when she came to tell Dorian that she was home after her long day, the door to his office was closed, although she could hear him talking to someone as she put her ear to the door. He didn't usually close it, so she was curious about why, opening it just enough so that she could clearly hear what was being said, and what she heard shocked her.

"…I tell you, Rodan, we're in big trouble, deep shit," Dorian said. "Yeah, _he_ showed up at the office the other day and made some threats that aren't good. Aren't good at all. I don't know what to do about that. I can't tell Selina. She'll be horrified when she finds out. What do you mean don't tell her anything? I think she'll notice eventually. It'll be kinder just to tell her. And you tell Katherine too. Don't leave her dumb. I know you like her more than you like to let on."

"Are you crazy?" Rodan asked. "We can't tell them anything! This is not just something you blurt out. Are you going to be that way with the rest of the public too? Not tell them that Lucifer has come back? This is exactly why I should have been the leader even though you were made first: You just have no common sense!"

"Oh, fine, so we won't tell them," Dorian sighed. "Now is not the time to get judgmental on me, Rodan!"

"Why not?" Rodan asked. "If you're making a mistake-"

That was all Selina nodded to hear. Panic was coursing through her, even though she had no idea what Dorian was talking about. But it sounded bad. She'd never heard Dorian so worked up before. Then, she paused. He _had_ been talking to Rodan, which in itself would frustrate him. Maybe that's all it was. But she had to be sure. Second opinions never hurt. So, following her husband's example of getting help from someone you didn't exactly like because things were possibly going wrong and you had no other choice, Selina called Katherine to see if Rodan knew of things going wrong.

"No," Katherine demurred. "What would make you ask that?"

"Well, because I overheard Dorian talking angrily to someone and I think it was your husband," Selina explained. "Only Rodan can get Dorian that worked up. Do you think something bad is going on?"

"No, of course not," Katherine said. "It's probably just a call between friends, and like you say, Dorian's mood can be explained by the fact that conversations with my husband always make him act that way. I wouldn't worry about a thing if I were you."

"I don't believe you," Selina told her. "I think you know something and you're lying to me about it. I feel it in my guts! Is Rodan staging a coup? Is that what's going on? You better tell me all that you know!"

"I don't know anything!" Katherine defended herself. "Except that there is no coup. Rodan's not thinking of overthrowing Dorian. Whatever it is must be something else. If you'll ask Dorian, I'll ask Rodan and then tomorrow, we can compare notes, all right?"

"Fine," Selina remarked. "Whatever, goodbye."

"You're welcome!" Katherine snapped and then ended the call abruptly. Selina held the phone for a few minutes, then, when it was clear Katherine was off the line, she hung up and went to talk to Dorian, who had just finished his own phone call.

"What's going on?" She asked, coming through the now open door and putting her arms around him. "Why are you so upset? Is there a problem?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Dorian assured her. He was smiling, but his body was tense. "I know you don't like being left out of things, but something's come up and it's nothing to worry about, but I need to handle it alone, all right? It'll be better that way. I want you to be safe."

Normally, Selina would have protested vociferously. He was right about this. But he seemed so earnest and sincere that she at least wanted to ease his mind by making him think she would do what he asked, even though for sure, she was at least going to find out what he was so worried about. "All right," She smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "You do what you need to do. I trust you. Thank you for protecting me."

"You're welcome," Dorian smiled and took her in his arms. "Thank you for trusting me too. It means an awful lot."

* * *

"Do I finally get to rescue AnnaLynne and those other girls now?" Gregory asked Marpesia impatiently. "Have you come up with a rescue plan? Cause I don't know how much longer I can let this go on before I do something reckless and foolhardy!"

This made Marpesia chuckle. "That surprises me," she got out. "I had no idea those words were in your vocabulary!"

"Well, I don't like them to be," Gregory replied tersely. "But sometimes you just get to the end of your rope, you know? Tell me what the plan is, please!"

"Oh, all right!" Marpesia sighed. "We'll go and get the girls, but we can't rescue all of them. We can only take a few, including AnnaLynne. That's the most we'll be able to get away with."

"Okay, I suppose that's all right," Gregory sighed. "As long as AnnaLynne is safe, I will resign myself to the fact that I can't save everyone."

Marpesia put a hand on his shoulder. "But AnnaLynne will be all right. I promise."

"How soon until we rescue her?" Gregory questioned. "If I know a specific time, it will ease the anxiety I feel."

"Two more days," Marpesia promised. "Two more days before we can put our plan into action."

"You better hope that AnnaLynne's not dead by then," Gregory huffed. "Or not dead already."

"Oh, you would know if she was," Marpesia assured him. "She's fine for now. At least we have that in our favor." She paused. "Well, maybe she's not _fine_ , but she's alive at least. That's something, right?"

"Yeah," Gregory sighed and hit a table. "That's something."

* * *

True to her promise, a few nights later, Marpesia shook Gregory awake and whispered to him, "Get dressed and grab your weapons. It's finally time to go rescue your girlfriend and anyone else we can get out."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Gregory said through his teeth. "How many times do I have to explain that?"

"Okay, fine," Marpesia turned on the light. "She's not your girlfriend, even though I think you're lying. But the point is, we're going to rescue her! Can't you at least be happy about that prospect since you've been going on and on about it forever?"

Gregory bristled. "I don't know how you can act so annoyed when women's lives are at stake. Are you telling me that AnnaLynne doesn't deserve to be saved?"

"No, of course that's not what I'm saying," Marpesia assured him. "I just don't understand how you can be scared as hell for her safety one minute and then act like she doesn't matter and is just one of the throng another minute. Can you explain that to me?"

"No," Gregory shook his head. "I prefer not to." He quickly dressed and then said, "Let's go. We don't want to waste any more time."

Marpesia rolled her eyes but said nothing as they made their way, slowly and carefully, out of the woods and back to the Amazon camp. "Now remember, be quiet and cautious," Marpesia warned. "Don't go off half-cocked and try to fight them in a conventional way. It won't help you."

"I know that," Gregory hissed. "I remember from last time."

They reached the camp, tense, weapons drawn, ready for anything, but quickly noticed something strange. There was no one there. It seemed deserted.

"What should we do now?" Gregory whispered. "Is it a trick?"

"Wait a few minutes," Marpesia urged. "If no one shows up, then we can go in and explore." She'd never seen anything like this happen before. Usually, the camps were always heavily guarded. They would never leave things unattended like this.

They'd only been watching a few seconds when a figure stumbled out of the bushes and fell down. When she didn't move, Gregory asked, "Should we go and help her? What if she's hurt?"

"What if she's bait?" Marpesia questioned. "Think about that."

"No," Gregory shook his head. "I can't just watch her be still. I have to check on her."

"Oh, god," Marpesia sighed as she watched him run into the clearing to check on the girl. "This might not end well."

But a few seconds later, he came back with her in his arms. The girl who had stumbled out of the bushes was AnnaLynne.

"See?" Marpesia told him. "I _knew_ she wasn't dead!"

"I know you'd probably consider it pushing my luck, but I'm going to do it anyway," Gregory told her. "I want you to watch AnnaLynne while I try and free some of the other girls. Will you do that?"

"Of course," Marpesia agreed. "But remember, we don't want to get out too many, cause that could lead to trouble."

In the end, they got out ten girls, including AnnaLynne, and brought them to a plane that Marpesia had ordered.

"Well, that was easy enough," Gregory remarked once the plane was in the sky. "Should we consider ourselves lucky or worry?"

"I will be doing a little bit of both," Marpesia replied. "As should you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gregory promised, and then went to check on AnnaLynne, who was sitting alone in a row toward the back of the plane. "Hey," he said. "I bet you're glad to be going home, huh?" He sat down next to her and reached out to touch her arm, but she moved out of his reach and refused to look at him. Finally, when she saw in the reflection in the window that Gregory wasn't leaving, she turned around. "What do you want?" She sighed. "I was sitting alone for a reason."

"Well, I was thinking that a 'Thank you for rescuing me, Gregory' or a 'Thank you for coming to check on me, Gregory' might be in order," Gregory bristled.

"All right," AnnaLynne nodded, although she still didn't come any closer to him. "I guess I do owe you thanks, but I'm also mad at you! What if, when the Amazons find out that we're gone, they come after us? Come after me? Did you think about that before you took us all away?"

"Well, in case you didn't notice," Gregory reminded her, "no one really tried to stop us when we sneaked off. I think you're okay, and the other girls are too. I wouldn't worry about that. I'll keep you safe."

"I know you will," AnnaLynne nodded. "Lucky me. Now…would you please go away? I want to be alone."

"All right," Gregory nodded and got up. He cast glances at the other girls and smiled to himself. He had done what needed to be done. He'd saved what girls he could, including AnnaLynne, from the Amazons, and for that, he was extremely happy, even though in the back of his mind, he wondered why they'd been able to get away with them so easily.

It was after he settled in another area of the plane that the other girls began talking to each other.

"We got out," a blonde said. "And they didn't even seem to notice a change in us. Neither of those fools realizes that we're not the girls they set out to rescue and are instead exactly what they fear the most."

"I hope we don't have to be like this forever," said another girl who was black-haired and tiny. "I don't like being so small!"

"Oh, calm down," said a redhead. "It's not like we're gonna be like this forever. Remember, the boss said it was only temporary."

They continued to have a very fishy conversation until they noticed AnnaLynne was watching them and quickly lapsed into silence while she asked herself if they were telling the truth and if she should tell Gregory what she heard.

* * *

"What do you want?" Lucifer huffed when he found himself in front of Mikael, John, and Malachai again. "Haven't I done enough for you already?"

"Well, we're not sure," John told him. "That's why we called you: we want to make sure that you did what you promised."

Lucifer frowned deeply and shot a fireball in their direction that made them all cry out, even though it just barely missed them and left the rug and wall badly burned. "How dare you question me!" He roared. "Especially when you have the nerve to call me a second time."

"Well, just answer our question and you can go," John promised. "Are the demons going to go away?"

"Oh, yes." Lucifer grinned. "It'll be just a matter of time until they're out of your lives. Are you happy?"

"Yes," Mikael nodded. "We are. Knowing that all the demons will be gone, including my dratted former daughter in law…that's good."

Lucifer chuckled when he heard this but said nothing to Mikael about how his daughter in law would be one of a select group of demons who, he had decided, would be staying right where she was. But of course he didn't mention that to Mikael. What would the fun of it be if he knew ahead of time he would have to still face her? It was more amusing to watch him be so excited and hopeful and then have those dreams dashed right in front of his eyes when he realized that Selina wasn't gone after all.

"So," he grinned. "You're pretty excited about all the demons being gone?"

"Oh, yes," John nodded. "We wouldn't have called you to ask to make them disappear if that's not what we wanted. Wouldn't you say?"

"Naturally," Lucifer nodded. "I've never seen such desperation in my whole life. It's kind of pathetic, really."

"It is not!" Malachai cried. "If you actually were around them, you'd understand how terrible they are!"

Lucifer grabbed him by the collar. "Listen, cupcake," he told him. "I have to keep all of them captive, remember? Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Be lucky I'm even taking them back at all. I've had quite a nice vacation on my own listening to them messing about down here and being happy that it wouldn't affect me."

"If you hate them so much, why are you offering to take them back?" Malachai questioned. "Why not just leave them here if you enjoy watching suffering so much?"

"Hey!" Mikael hit Malachai on the back of the head. "Don't say that! It'll give him ideas and make this whole venture pointless."

"Oh, relax," Lucifer sighed. "I didn't just come to get the demons because of your nagging. I've had a request from their creator that I bring them back because they were veering off course and forgetting their true purpose. If it were truly up to me, they would stay right where they are."

"So you're telling us that if it weren't coincidentally for this other being requesting that you bring the demons back, you wouldn't have answered us at all?" John asked.

"No," Lucifer scoffed. "Of course not! Do you honestly think I would put myself in the position of being at the mercy of ridiculous people like you if I had the choice to act otherwise? You're more foolish than I thought! For your information, I am much more powerful than any of you could hope to imagine. I could kill you right now if I wanted to. But I don't. Cause then I'll miss out on all the fun that's coming." He giggled.

"What fun?" John asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Lucifer told him with a grin. "Nothing that concerns you or that you can stop. And now that I've told you exactly what you want to hear, I don't want to be here anymore. I'm leaving. Goodbye. And _don't_ ever call me again. Do you understand?"

They muttered to themselves and didn't meet Lucifer's eyes.

As a way of saying goodbye, he lit John on fire and laughed as Malachai and Mikael struggled to put him out, and then disappeared, leaving them alone and coughing up smoke.

"It's always nice when he visits," John remarked with a big cough. "Don't you think?"

"No," Mikael shook his head. "What do you think he was laughing about? What did he mean when he said he couldn't wait for the fun to start? Do you think he's cheating us somehow?"

"Probably," Malachai replied dryly. "He's the devil, he does that."

"Not to me, he doesn't," Mikael replied, his eyes narrowed as he began plotting the revenge he would take if it was discovered that Lucifer had cheated them in any way.


	89. What The Demon World Is Coming To

"All right," Katherine said to Ellie as they pulled up to the mall. "We're here because your mother asked me to find a dress for you so you look extremely beautiful when your daddy becomes head of the government. Are you ready to do this?"

"Yes!" Ellie smiled.

Katherine parked the car and helped Ellie out, taking her by the hand and bringing her inside. They made their way to the little girls' dress department and Katherine told Ellie to sit on a bench while she went and grabbed a few options, forgetting how to shop with little children. And by the time she got back to the bench with four possible dresses in hand, Ellie was gone.

"Oh, shit," she whispered under her breath as she stared at the empty bench where she was positive Ellie had been. "I hope I find her and that nothing bad has happened. Otherwise, Sarah and Josh will kill me!" She ran through the mall, shouting Ellie's name, but no one responded, and Ellie didn't come back.

The little girl wasn't in trouble, however. At least not yet. She was hiding among the clothing racks and giggling like mad when she poked her head out of a rack in the men's department and found a man with red eyes and dark hair and clad all in black staring back at her.

"Well, hello, there," he greeted her as she got out. He got down on his knees so he was on her level and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Where is your mother?"

"You're a stranger!" Ellie got out and turned away from him. "Go away!"

"I know that you're a witch and a vampire and a werewolf," he told her. "Did you know?"

Ellie turned and gave a little hop. "I don't like you," she glared. She moved her hand and was preparing to turn him into a bunny when he grabbed it and kissed it.

"You don't want to do that," he told her. "It's not very nice! And it doesn't bother me that you don't like me. Most people don't." He grinned his evil grin and her eyes widened.

"You have a face like my daddy," she remarked. "A demon face! I see it!"

This made Lucifer freeze and let her go just as Katherine came upon them.

"Oh, thank god!" She cried as Ellie told Lucifer 'Goodbye' and ran into Katherine's arms. "I've got some dresses for you to try on. And stay with me, okay? I don't want you to get lost again."

"All right," Ellie nodded and looked at Lucifer for one more second before grabbing Katherine's hand and pulling her away. "Come on!"

* * *

"All right, you all," Rodan told Sarah and Josh and Christian and Jill. He was having a meeting to tell them about the threat of Lucifer while Katherine was out of the house with Ellie. "I have something very important to tell you that has to do with the fate of the demon world. How we deal with it will affect how things are for years to come."

"You don't have to beat around the bush," Jill assured Rodan. "We know that Lucifer is coming with the goal of taking all the demons back home."

"How?" Rodan questioned. "How do you know already?"

"She's got psychic powers, remember?" Christian reminded his father. "She knows all sorts of things."

"Well, isn't that handy?" Rodan asked. "Jill, you haven't seen whether or not we'll defeat him, have you?"

"Not precisely, no," Jill shook her head and leaned against Christian. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine," Rodan sighed. "Even if there's no chance of us winning, we should at least try to fight."

"And how will we do that?" Josh asked. "Do you know a way? Tell us if you do!"

"Yeah," Christian nodded. "Or should we just surrender to fate and lie down and give in right now?"

"No, we aren't doing that," Rodan shook his head. "Are you panicking? Stop doing that! It helps nothing."

"Of course we're not panicking, Dad," Christian told Rodan and squared his shoulders. "What makes you think we're doing that?"

"The idea that you want to just lie down and wait for fate to steamroll us," Josh supplied. "Come on, you can admit that you're scared. It's all right."

Christian hesitated and then Jill put a hand on his arm. "Go ahead and admit it," she whispered. "It's a good thing."

"All right," he said. "I'm scared. What if we get taken away and we don't come back?"

Beside him, he felt Jill freeze. Every muscle in her body locked up, her gaze became vacant.

"What's wrong with her?" Rodan questioned. "Is she all right? Do we need to get her to a doctor?"

"No," Christian shook his head and carried her to the sofa so she could sit down. "She's just having a vision. She'll be better once it passes."

"Don't worry," she said in her usual monotone that came out at times like this. Her hand moved on top of Christian's and she squeezed it. "Demon hybrids will stay. Only full ones will go."

"Oh, well, that's good!"

Rodan gave him a look.

"Good for me, anyway," Christian corrected. "I know there's lots of people it's not good for."

"And the people who just became demons, they will be as they were," Jill continued. "That is Lucifer's plan."

"I can't believe we have someone who's able to just tell us what Lucifer is doing!" Rodan rubbed his hands. "I bet he wasn't counting on that!"

"Oh, I agree!" Josh replied. "I want to fight it if we're going to have to leave. I'm not abandoning Ellie! I love her too much."

"And she loves you, too," Sarah smiled and put her arms around Josh. "So do I"

After that, the vision ended and Christian went to get Jill some water.

"What did I say?" She asked. "Anything helpful?"

"Oh, yes," Christian smiled and kissed her. "Very much."

* * *

"Oh, AnnaLynne!" Dorian cried when Gregory brought her into his and Selina's house. "Dear, I'm so glad you're all right! I was so worried about you!"

"Thanks, but…thanks," AnnaLynne told him. She was all prepared to brush off his concern, then realized that this was one of the first times she remembered him showing concern for her, so she thought she would just take it. "It wasn't as bad as you think though. I don't believe they were going to actually kill me."

"Oh, I don't know," Gregory told her. "Marpesia said that it would have been a great boon for them to kill a demon as a way of showing their enemies that they weren't to be messed with. We got you out just in time."

"Yeah, I guess," AnnaLynne shrugged. "How many more times do I have to thank you for saving me until you shut up about it? I've already done it a million times. You can hardly call me ungrateful."

"And I never did," Gregory replied. "But I'm sorry if my attempt to show that I cared about your life and your welfare inconvenienced you in any way. I'll leave you to die or get hurt in the future, if that's what you'd prefer."

"Maybe I would," AnnaLynne shot back. "Thank you."

"All right, all right!" Selina came upon them. "Now that we've exchanged pleasantries, can I get anyone some coffee? Or something stronger?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," AnnaLynne told her, still glaring at Gregory. "I think I need to be alone for a while."

" _I'll_ have a drink, Mother," Gregory said. "Thanks a lot."

"I'll get you something, but nothing large," Selina decided. She brought him a glass of red wine and sat down next to him. "Why is AnnaLynne so mad at you?" She asked. "What did you do?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. Some people just can't appreciate an act of kindness. For some reason, it seems like she would have preferred getting killed by the Amazons. I would have just left her if I would have known she was gonna be this ungrateful." Then he looked at Dorian. "Don't you think it's crazy that she would rather be killed by Amazons than rescued? Can you please explain to me how the hell her thought process works because I just don't get it."

"Sometimes, I don't get it either," Dorian told him. "Thank you for bringing her back to me. I appreciate it."

"Well, it's good that at least one person does," Gregory said and drank his drink.

Selina, however, felt sorry for AnnaLynne. "Excuse me," she said, standing up and going down the hallway where the bedrooms were and seeing that there was one that had the door ajar. She knocked. "AnnaLynne, are you in there?" She questioned. "If you want to talk about what happened, I'll listen."

There was a silence and then AnnaLynne finally called out, "All right, come on in. But you have to promise not to judge me."

"I won't," Selina assured her. "Scout's honor."

So AnnaLynne let her in and motioned for her to come sit next to her on the bed. "First off," Selina started. "Are you okay?"

"Well, if Gregory hadn't gotten me out of there when he did, I'd be a lot worse," AnnaLynne admitted. "Now that I'm not staring at his stupid, smug face, I can admit that. But I'm mad because him taking me and some of the other girls away…that could put us in more danger than we would have been if he hadn't listened to his stupid hero complex, you know? I could have handled whatever they threw at me." She paused. "But I guess I can understand how some people might be upset if I was dead."

"Lots of people would be," Selina assured her, giving her a hug. "That was Gregory's motivation, I'm sure. His father is like that too. He gets the most overbearing and irritating when he's afraid he's gonna lose someone he loves."

"But he doesn't love me!" AnnaLynne protested. "He hates me." She paused and thought about all the times he'd touched and kissed her. "Well, at least he acts like he does. If he cares about me, why can't he act like it, instead of always acting like a big self-important jerk?"

"It's annoying," Selina nodded. "I know. I went through it with his father. But the thing is, once you work through that, underneath that annoying, pompous, self-important exterior is someone who is passionate and loving and really, really cares."

"Really?" AnnaLynne asked. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Selina promised. "I know he can be a pain in the butt, but if you give him a chance, you'll find someone you really like. And I promise I'm not saying that just because I'm his mother."

"All right," AnnaLynne promised. "I suppose I should at least thank him for his rescue."

"He'll appreciate it," Selina nodded. She watched AnnaLynne get up and stride out of the bedroom, not stopping until she was looking Gregory in the eye. "Stand up and put your drink down, please," she requested. "I'm prepared to be nice to you."

"Oh?" Gregory raised an eyebrow. "You are?"

"Yes," AnnaLynne nodded. "Even though I think it will lead to trouble in the long run, thank you for rescuing me. If you hadn't, I'd be dead or at least badly wounded by now."

"You're welcome," Gregory nodded and gave her a smile. "I just…I did it because I didn't want you to die. It would have…it would have made part of me empty."

"Really?" AnnaLynne asked in surprise. "You didn't just do it to get praise?"

"No," Gregory shook his head. "I did it because if I didn't, I would have really missed you."


	90. The Devil's Due

"So nice to see you all got back safely," Lucifer said to the group of Amazons. "I mean, there are fewer of you than I would have liked, but…you have to take what you can get, don't you? And…no one suspected a thing?"

"No," shrugged one of the Amazons, looking down at Lucifer. "I mean, that AnnaLynne might have had a suspicion that something was up because _someone_ was talking really loudly on the plane—" a few of the girls looked down and blushed. "But she obviously wasn't suspicious enough that it endangered what you wanted to do." She paused and put her hands on her hips. "What do you want us to do now?"

"Well, make the demons disappear, obviously!" Lucifer exclaimed. "This is something that we both want. Are you looking forward to it?"

"Oh, yes," another Amazon, slightly shorter than the first replied. "We've been trying to think of ways to get rid of the demons for ages. So…we send them all back with this spell and powers you gave us?"

"Not all of them," Lucifer corrected. "Just full demons. Hybrid children will stay as they are and hybrid adults will lose their demon status and return to being the species they were to start out with. And you should be able to tell the difference between all of them. It's not hard. Got it?"

"Yes," the Amazons said and then turned on their heels. It was time to go demon hunting.

* * *

Thinking that Lucifer wouldn't want them to waste much time, they split up to different areas, did the spell, and when they returned to Lucifer, it was with complete confidence that they had gotten all the demons where they belonged.

Lucifer looked them all over. "If you did exactly what I told you, that should be right, but before I fulfill my part of the bargain, I have to check and make sure," he told them. "Just a minute."

He then used his powers to bring himself to where the demons were held when they weren't gallivanting about the earth. "Surprised to see me?" He chuckled as he looked in on them. "Wondering what you're doing back here?"

"Yes!" Dorian cried. "We don't deserve this! Send us back!"

"Yeah!" Josh protested just as passionately. "Some of us have built lives that we need to get back to!"

"And see, that's just the problem," Lucifer pointed out. "Your insistence on getting involved with vampires, witches, and warlocks; dating them…marrying them. Loving their children. That's a conflict of interest!"

"So what you're telling me is that we're not allowed to have lives of our own?" Josh questioned. "We're just supposed to obey Hazel's and your whims and create more demons to do the same? That's our only purpose?"

"Well, yes," Lucifer smiled. "I'm surprised you haven't picked up on that after so many years!"

"But you didn't bring everyone back!" Jeffrey pointed out. "Where's Sybil? She's not here!"

"That's my business and not yours," Lucifer told him. "But I can assure you that she and her baby will be safe right where they are. Everyone who is not here now will remain on earth.

"What about Selina?" Dorian yelled. "Will _she_ be all right?"

"And Arthur?" Lily added. "What about him?

"Yes, I just said that!" Lucifer snapped impatiently. "Weren't you listening at all? Your wife will be fine. She and your son will just have a much more satisfying life without you." He paused and looked at Lily. "Either of you. That's for sure."

"You're wrong," Dorian told him.

"Yes, what he said!" Rodan added. "We'll find a way out of here, we promise! You won't be able to keep us here forever! Those days are over!"

"Right," Lucifer said dismissively. No, they aren't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to get back to than having pointless and annoying arguments with you all." He then straightened his lapels, snapped his fingers, and then found himself back on earth where the Amazons waited for the reward they knew they'd receive for making the demons disappear.

* * *

Once the demons were gone, Mikael found out by a note in the nearby window. It read: **It's done.** There was no doubt in Mikael's mind what that meant, and the thought of there being no demons in the world just made him laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

His loud chuckling woke up Gwen, who watched him for several minutes and tried to ask him what the hell was going on, but he couldn't hear her over his laughter. She then gave him a good, hard slap.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Just what is so funny that you have to laugh like a fool and wake me up? And where's Jeffrey? I woke up alone!"

"It's hard to explain, Gwendolyn," he told her. "But when all your dreams have come true, you'll know exactly how I'm feeling right now."

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked, grabbing his shoulders. "Mikael, what have you done?"

"Nothing," Mikael said. "And isn't that interesting about Jeffrey?"

"Interesting, my ass!" Gwen cried. "Tell me what you did. I demand to know right now! Did you kill him? I know you and he disliked each other but killing him just because he made me happy and that made _you_ jealous is totally uncalled for!"

"Oh, calm down, Gwendolyn!" Mikael told her. "I didn't kill him!"

"If you didn't, then where did he go?" Gwen questioned. "Tell me where he is right this minute!"

"I wish I could, Gwendolyn," Mikael shrugged. "But I can't. Not precisely. I _am_ telling you the truth when I say I didn't kill him, however. I just made it possible for him to be sent somewhere else. Wherever demons are kept when they're not making trouble on earth. John found a spell to call up the devil and ask him for help, and before you know it, because the demons were really overstepping their bounds by making families with people from other supernatural species, a plan was made to send the demons back where they're supposed to be."

"If you think that explaining your actions as justified in the eyes of someone else will make me less mad at you, you're wrong!" Gwen cried, eyes narrowed. "I can't believe that you're so petty and spiteful that you made it so I'll never see Jeffrey again!"

"I'm still here," Mikael told her. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"No," Gwen shook her head. "Not really. At this point, I accept you as part of my past and the father of one of my children, but I have no plans, ever, in a million years, to fall in love with you ever again!" She went to get his bags and threw them at him. "Pack those and get out," she ordered. "I don't want to see you ever again."

"You're not serious," Mikael said. "You can't mean it."

"I can and I do," Gwen said as she crossed her arms. "I want you out of my house, and I want you out _now_."

But Mikael still didn't get it, sitting on the bed and not doing what Gwen asked. So she packed for him, opened the front door, and used her magic to lift him from the bed and sent him flying out the door so that he landed hard on the driveway and his bags landed on top of him.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Gwen called out, then slammed the door, dusted off her hands, and made herself some tea while thinking if there was a way, _any_ way at all, to bring back Jeffrey.

* * *

"Klaus!" Sybil ran out of the bathroom and roughly shook him awake. "Klaus, I'm in labor!"

To her surprise, he sat up, very much awake. "You can stop shaking me," he said, jumping out of bed, fully dressed. "Get your bag and let's go to the hospital!"

"Were you sleeping in your clothes?" Sybil asked.

"Yes, I wanted to be ready," Klaus nodded. He grabbed her hand and then she stopped him. "We can't go to the hospital! What if they take our child away because it's only part demon? We don't want that!"

"So what do you want me to do?" Klaus sighed. "Are you and I are going to deliver the baby by ourselves?"

"Yes," Sybil nodded. "Is that a problem? Are you telling me that you've been around all this time and you've _never_ delivered a baby before?"

"No," Klaus sighed. "Or not that I remember. But there's a first time for everything."

Sybil sighed and tried to stay calm. She was certain about her choice not to go to the hospital. If she was going to go through all this pain to have her child delivered, there was no way in hell that she was going to risk it being taken away. "Thanks for helping me with this," she told him as she got off her pants and underwear, sucked in her breath and let out a scream as a wave of pain hit, and then climbed back into bed once it had passed.

"Are you going to be all right?" Klaus asked.

"Well, as all right as a woman in labor can possibly be," Sybil replied. "Luckily for us, what I remember from Eric being born is that it doesn't take very long."

Klaus sighed and squeezed her hand tight. "That's what I'm afraid of: That I might not have that much time left with you."

"I won't die," Sybil promised. "This baby is not going to kill me. If I have to, I will keep myself alive out of pure spite!"

She kept her hand in his throughout the whole delivery, only allowing him to remove it in order to get a towel once he saw that the baby's head was coming out. "Oh, fuck!" She yelled. "I don't think you realize how much this hurts!"

"Not personally," Klaus admitted as the baby's head came out and the rest of him emerged soon after, screaming loudly. "But I'm sure that over the years, I've caused some that's just as bad."

After Sybil got her breath and was very pleased to realize that she wasn't dead, she brought her head up and asked Klaus, "Do we have a Christopher or an Emma?"

"A Christopher," Klaus replied, wrapping him up in a blanket and handing him to her. "See? Why don't you say 'Hello' to your son?"

Sybil smiled and held the baby close. "I love you," she said. "Your daddy loves you. And we're not gonna let them take you away from us. We promise you that. I messed up the first time I had a kid, but I know I can't afford that right now. I've learned my lesson. And I'm going to be the best mother I can be." She then looked up just as Klaus turned away from her. "What?" She asked. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Klaus told her. "I just…I have something in my eye." He was really wiping away tears of emotion but he didn't want her to know that."

"All right," she said, playing along. "Go get a tissue and fix your eyes and then come back here cause I know your son will want to see his daddy again soon."

* * *

Selina awake in her bed in the darkened bedroom. Dorian hadn't been gone for that long, but the fact that he was didn't surprise her. It was just another relationship that had gone down the toilet and it wasn't even the first time a guy had got up and left her without any word. Klaus' brother Aleksandr had been the first. Well, actually that wasn't true: he'd left her a note with some pathetic excuse that he was leaving to save her from his brother, but she'd searched the house and Dorian hadn't left anything like that anywhere.

It didn't matter, though. She'd get through this just like she had every other divorce, break-up, and abandonment in her life. Dorian was no different from any other guy….

Then she paused as images of him intruded into her mind. His smiles, his kisses, his touches. The look of delight on his face after she'd successfully caught someone while hunting. It wasn't the best time to think about how he truly was like _no_ man she'd ever been with because he'd loved every part of her. She'd never had to hide anything. He was so good about that. So caring, so…nice. And depending on what happened, she'd probably never see him again. Never again…

The realization hit her hard and she began to cry. She got out of bed to go get herself some water and take a deep breath, but that didn't help. Soon she was crying so hard that by the time she got back to her bed, she fell to her knees, gripped the edge of the mattress, and sobbed loudly with her face against it, only lifting up her head to sniffle and wipe her nose on the sheets. It was unladylike, she knew. But who the hell cared when she didn't have anyone to love her anymore?

 **The End**

 **Next Up, The Devil's Game: Selina, Katherine, and others who lost someone when the demons disappeared try to understand how it happened and what they need to do to undo it, but after Selina summons Lucifer to find out where the demons went, they soon learn from the man himself that, of course, it won't be so easy to get their demon loved ones back. Not if he can help it.**


End file.
